What Came 1st - the Tree of Harmony or the Royal Sisters?

[Cwanky 17,803]

Since the pilot episode of Season 4 and the introduction of the Tree of Harmony this has been bothering me a bit. If there's any truth to what A Hearth's Warming Eve, where unicorns were said to traditionally raise and lower the sun and the moon in Equestria, then it follows that the Royal Sisters either did not exist at that point, or had not acquired their powers yet. 

 

We also know that the Royal Sisters discovered the Tree of Harmony in the same pilot and "borrowed" its powers to combat Discord. The Elements of Harmony are almost certainly originated from the tree.

 

The next question though is whether the Royal Sisters themselves acquired their powers from the Tree of Harmony or perhaps they themselves were born from the Tree of Harmony. As we see from the Tree of Harmony itself the their sun and moon symbols are also their with the Elements of Harmony:

 

 

It may be very well that Celestia and Luna acquired their immortality and strength like Cadance did through trial and virtue, or it may have been through the Tree. Even with that aside though,their connection to the tree leaves a lot to discover.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Sugar Cube

[TenorSounds 832]

The Journal of the Two Sisters goes over this, or at least gives us some information to work with; Celestia explains that alicorns are naturally long-lived, and it's made clear that Celestia and Luna existed during the time that Equestria existed under pony rule. They were asked to be the rulers of Equestria by Starswirl the Bearded since it was just after the Earth ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi joined under one rule for the first time. They were ruling for quite awhile before they discovered that their talents were moving the sun and moon. They were blank-flanks up to that point, and Celestia clarified that alicorns get their cutie marks much later than other ponies, usually after they have already become adults. Until they learned of their talents, the raising and lowering of the sun and moon were carried out by Starswirl and his team of powerful unicorns. They discover the Tree of Harmony in the journal, but it makes it sound like they already knew of it's existence if not necessarily it's purpose/power.

 

So to me, it sounds like the tree came first since their cutie-marks are on it, but I don't think they were directly born from it or take their power from it.

Edited July 15, 2014 by TenorSounds