Luna and King Sombra paradox?

[Arctic Line 1]

So before I get down to business i'll give some backstory on Luna and Sombra. Luna was banished to the moon for being jealous of her sister. An important detail is that she was banished for 1000 years. Now King Sombra took control of the crystal empire before Celestia and Luna both used their powers to banish him to the north. But before he was banished he cursed the crystal empire to disappear... for 1000 years. 

Nightmare moon (or Luna) came back from the moon and was freed in Season 1 episode 1. The Crystal Empire came back at the beginning of Season 3 episode 1. Now here is where the paradox comes in. Celestia and Luna could not have possibly banished Sombra together because Luna was already banished to the moon when Sombra ruled over the Crystal empire. Since Luna was freed from the moon in the very first season that would mean she would've had to been banished to the moon before the Crystal Empire disappeared because they were both banished for 1000 years.

 

Sorry if this was unclear, I'm bad at explaining things.

Anyways share your thoughts.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

So before I get down to business i'll give some backstory on Luna and Sombra. Luna was banished to the moon for being jealous of her sister. An important detail is that she was banished for 1000 years. Now King Sombra took control of the crystal empire before Celestia and Luna both used their powers to banish him to the north. But before he was banished he cursed the crystal empire to disappear... for 1000 years. 

Nightmare moon (or Luna) came back from the moon and was freed in Season 1 episode 1. The Crystal Empire came back at the beginning of Season 3 episode 1. Now here is where the paradox comes in. Celestia and Luna could not have possibly banished Sombra together because Luna was already banished to the moon when Sombra ruled over the Crystal empire. Since Luna was freed from the moon in the very first season that would mean she would've had to been banished to the moon before the Crystal Empire disappeared because they were both banished for 1000 years.

 

Sorry if this was unclear, I'm bad at explaining things.

Anyways share your thoughts.

 

Honestly, I've always imagined it as simply the whole banishment spell from Sombra lasted just a slight bit longer than Nightmare Moon's imprisonment as if what Season 4 says is true then the events of season 1 happened 1 year before the start of Season 4. It's a bit inconsistent sure, but I don't mind it too much as they technically happened in the same year.

[Silver Letter 1,830]

Celestia must be bad with dates? Yes, the timeline can't be as the princess had described.

[pony.colin 156]

So before I get down to business i'll give some backstory on Luna and Sombra. Luna was banished to the moon for being jealous of her sister. An important detail is that she was banished for 1000 years. Now King Sombra took control of the crystal empire before Celestia and Luna both used their powers to banish him to the north. But before he was banished he cursed the crystal empire to disappear... for 1000 years. 

Nightmare moon (or Luna) came back from the moon and was freed in Season 1 episode 1. The Crystal Empire came back at the beginning of Season 3 episode 1. Now here is where the paradox comes in. Celestia and Luna could not have possibly banished Sombra together because Luna was already banished to the moon when Sombra ruled over the Crystal empire. Since Luna was freed from the moon in the very first season that would mean she would've had to been banished to the moon before the Crystal Empire disappeared because they were both banished for 1000 years.

 

Sorry if this was unclear, I'm bad at explaining things.

Anyways share your thoughts.

 

Huh?  (Goes to rewatch Season 3, opener episodes ...... watches around 3:25,

 

Twilight Sparkle: The Crystal Empire? I'm sorry, I-I thought I'd studied. Ooh. I don't think there's anything in any of my books th–    

Princess Celestia: There wouldn't be. Few remember it ever existed at all. Even my knowledge of the Empire is limited. But what I do know is that it contains a powerful magic. One thousand years ago, King Sombra, a unicorn whose heart was black as night, took over the Crystal Empire.    

King Sombra: [growls]    

[chains jangling]

 

.... seriously ...... ? (Gg writers, gg)

 

Well, if I recall correctly, there was a Discord admin who made a fan timeline for all the events that happened in Equestria's past, trying to place them within reasonable time of each other. Welp, if they were annoyed about how old Starswirl the bearded was, now this just might throw a wrench in their timeline.

 

Good timeline error catch though.

 

 

Okay, here's the little lie were going to use.  When Celestia said one thousand years ago, she had the time slightly bit off.  More like 1000 years + 6 months ago, (or however long you think the time period between Season 3's opener and Season 1 episode 1 is).   We totally didn't count the number of months that passed.  Yeah, that's my lie and I'm sticking with it (still occurred within the same year)  ..... (seriously writers -_-, stop using, "and 1,000 years ago" at least use "and 1,001 years ago" or more)  

Edited July 20, 2014 by pony.colin

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

I tend to view 'one thousand years' as more of a general time scale than a specific point in history. While I can see both banishments happening somewhat close, I tend to think of this 'thousand years ago' as a chaotic time in Equestrian history.

[Zygen 6,065]

I can see what your saying, although I don't really remember the exact disappearance time for the crystal empire being said. 

 

It's also possible that they were not very specific with that timing, and maybe they meant to give or take a few years or something.

 

I get what your saying though, but I feel as though the timeline not being explained super clearly is more of the issue, and not it being actually impossible.

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

I don't remember the exact wording of the line, but Twilight did read in the first episode that "the stars [would] aid her escape" regarding Nightmare Moon's imprisonment. I take this to mean that Luna was not banished for 1000 years, but until the stars aligned in a certain way which happened to be slightly less. When you also account for the fact that everything up to the start of S4 is one year and assume that the period of time between Sombra's imprisonment and Luna's banishment is short (which is not unreasonable), the chronological wiggle room needed is not that big, and 1000 years is long enough that even a small discrepancy, even of a couple years, would ultimately not matter.

 

1000 years is probably just an approximation rather than a definite timeline.

[Malinter 3,064]

Too quote a cartoon I watched.

 

"Why is it always 1000 years of darkness?!"

 

"Its actually 981 years, but 1000 sounds more ominous."

[Jadefire 2,796]

It wasn't exactly 1000 years ago, it was 1000-ish years ago. Same with how the 100 year war actually lasted about 116-ish years, and the war of 1812 lasted from 1812 - 1814. Most likely, the Crystal Empire was actually banished for, say, 1008 years. It wasn't that Sombra placed a "dissappear for a thousand years" curse, but rather more likely a "be voided from reality" curse that took a really long time to wear off.

 

In fact, events from that time period are pretty fluid to begin with. Discord arrived and plunged Equestria into chaos, which necessitated him tasting the rainbow. Tirek and Scorpan happened first, yet Tirek knew who Discord was. Scorpan also met Star Swirl the Bearded if I'm remembering correctly, and Star Swirl was apparently alive during the founding of Equestria. In addition, it's also implied in the show that Luna knew Star Swirl as well. (It's confirmed in the comics, by the way, but the canonicity of the comics to the show itself hasn't been confirmed that I'm aware of.)

 

Anyway, this all likely means that all these people were doing their thing over a period of time. In fact, the only character who probably did get banished for exactly 1000 years was Nightmare Moon, given the prophecy that the "the stars will aid in her escape" on the summer solstice of the 1000th year. Everyone else probably just got banished "for a really long time" that happened to be roughly within a decade of 1000 years.

[pony.colin 156]

Ah I found it again.  This was Chaotic Discord's headcannon post about the History of Equestria: http://mlpforums.com/topic/97978-cdiscords-post-s4-history-of-equestria-headcanon/

 

Was a nice a read.  But yeah, timelines, guess they're being pretty lackadaisical with how they throw events in Equestria's past, just always using that 1,000 mark because, 962 years doesn't sound cool enough

[Princess Periwinkle 3,774]

With time scales as large as 1000 years, you can factor in a few years difference. No one's going to say "997 years ago". It would just be rounded, that's all.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

I just had to, I'm sorry guys...