It has been a year since the first Kelpie came into their lives, and the first and only effort since than to make contact with The Tribe, was an utter failure. But now that was going to change.

With the School of Friendship, and coordinating around Twilight’s schedule, now was the time to plan an expedition. Both Starlight and Twilight had the castle to themselves, and together just began laying out scrolls for detailing the plan.

The Princess smiled big as she unrolled a roster for the available service ponies, setting it on the table. She then lit her horn, shifting the map to center on the land bridge in front of herself and Starlight.

“It’s been how long?” The alicorn mused.

Starlight smiled back, looking relieved. “Long enough, we can finally get started.”

Twilight kept her smile, and passed the scroll to the unicorn. “These are all Equestria’s best, and I have meetings scheduled so we can brief them on our mission.”

Starlight looked it over, seeing doctor titles and a few officers. Everything was thought of, from transportation and equipment, to medical and mobile shelters. If every kelpie was in the same situation as Mud, and the Tribe, Twilight could help so many of them with modern Equestrian equipment.

“Where do we start?” Starlight set the scroll down, and looked to the land bridge.

Twilight pointed a hoof at the tiny line that stretched over the Equestrian landscape, representing the railways.
“We can transport wagons and the ponies by train to the break off point.”

“Are they ready for this kind of stuff.” Starlight reached a hoof for another scroll.
“Kelpies aren’t ponies; it’ll be different field.”

Twilight raised a hoof assuredly, “Don’t worry, I didn’t pick them randomly.”
“I’ve thought of everything, there’s no way it could go wrong.”

Starlight stared in confusion, catching Twilight’s attention immediately.

“What, isn’t that good?” Then she saw the wisp of opaque mist in front of her muzzle, and Starlight looked down at her own breath visible in front of her. The room had become colder, and more so as seconds past.

Starlight felt a shiver down her spine, an awful buzzing heat in the back of her skull, and her heart pounded hard against her chest. She was more confused, and only thought to the cause of her discomfort. But seeing Twilight’s face as the Alicorn had horrific realization, made her worry more.

Twilight whipped around in her seat, trying to find the source of the familiar feeling. Only to see the shadows in the room growing darker, and spreading farther then the light allowed.

When the rising feeling of fear almost blinded the two ponies, they saw plain amongst the blurriness a pair of green eyes, the face, and baring red horn and fangs, pushed through the tar covered wall. Stepping out of it, King Sombra stood behind the chairs his opponents sat in. grinning as he stepped closer, seeing the two were dazed by the Plantam Timeo spell that hooked around their hind fetlocks. The black tentacle charging their bodies with Ill Magic. The King hummed as he lit his horn, spinning the chairs around so the ponies faced him.

“My apologies, I meant to interrupt you.” He hissed, letting up on the spell so his appearance was visible.

Twilight at this time is just taller than her friend, and met the King at muzzle height. Being almost two years since seeing the dark unicorn, the last time engraving the image of his body disintegrating before her eyes.

“You?” Twilight breathed out, raising a hoof to feel her temples. “What are you doing here?!”

“You’re dead!” Starlight snapped, lighting her horn for a defensive spell.

Sombra glanced at both of his opponents, “Don’t work yourselves up, I shan’t be staying.”
He raises thick wisps of darkness around himself, “I know better to mess with you.”
He leans close to whisper into Twilight’s face, “But your friends… I can easily destroy them!”

Both ponies’ faces became shocked, and watched the king be enveloped in shadows. He vanished with the spell, leaving the doors to the map room be sealed up with black crystals.

Author's Note

learning from last time it seems. Division is their weakness.