Star-Kissed or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sun

Twilight sparkle was having a bucking terrible afternoon.

She sweated as she poured more and more magic into her increasingly powerful spell. Thanks to casting a quick awakness spell earlier she was more alert but still nonetheless exhausted and frustrated at the way her day had gone. Sticking out her tongue in concentration she pushed one last burst of magic into her complex spell before releasing it.

-kaboom!-

A magical pulse washed across Equestria.

In essence, the spell was like an overcharged sonar pulse, it would travel along the lands hitting every natural magical leyline it crossed. Alicorn magic was so powerful, that an Alicorn that was even near a leyline would cause it to react; Twilight’s spell would then ping off this reaction and pulse back to her horn; she could then use this ping to determine distance and direction giving her an accurate location of Luna or Celestia, or god’s willing, both of them.

Twilight waited, it would take several minutes for… The ping unexpectedly hit her horn causing her to jump and give a slight yelp. Pushing down her blush Twilight ran the numbers in her head, her features twisted in confusion as she spoke her thoughts out loud. “No no no, that doesn’t make sense!”

The girls stepped closer trying to give comfort to the young alicorn. “If my calculations are accurate, and I’m fairly certain they are, then Luna and Celestia… are in the castle’s throne room?”

Rarity was the first to voice the group’s concern. “But Twilight, what could that possibly mean? If the sister’s are still in the castle?”

Twilight’s features froze as sudden realization hit her. Plan R she thought to herself before repeating out loud for the group. “Girls, this might be a ‘Plan R’ situation.”

The mares all gasped.

“Plan R” was the Equestrian Military’s response plan for a complete hostile takeover of Equestria’s capital, including the capture or death of Celestia and Luna. The only other time “Plan R” had been enacted was when the Storm King’s army had successfully captured Canterlot, driving the Equestrian Military into a full fighting retreat out of the capital.

Twilight gulped, with Cadance all the way in the Crystal Empire, it would fall to Twilight to make the call, if she enacted “Plan R”, the entire military would be mobilized under her command in an effort to evacuate civilians from the capital and rescue the princesses, regardless of the costs.

Twilight turned to the assembled guard ponies. “Soldiers, attention, please.”

Silver Bar and his newly formed combat team smartly snapped to attention, waiting for their orders. “It is with a heavy heart that I must enact Plan R protocols”.

To the group’s credit, only one or two ponies cried out in dismay, Silver Bar swung a hoof back in a placating gesture, quieting the group. “Understood Ma'am, we’ll send out the prepared scrolls and call in all reserves.”

Silver Bar paused before pulling an engraved cylinder from a pack strapped to his side, opening it he withdrew a brightly glowing gold and silver scroll. He roughly snapped the seal on it, causing the scroll to be consumed by spellfire before fading away. “You should have several battlegroups ready for teleportation onto castle grounds within thirty minutes… The Gods above preserve us…”

Twilight nodded in agreement.