What kept Luna on the moon?

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

 Luna was banished to the moon for one thousand years. However, couldn't she have used her magic to come back at any point? What exactly kept her on the moon for that long?

[Jadefire 2,797]

Keep in mind she was banned in the moon, not on the moon. This implies that whatever sent her to the moon had the power to keep her there, so Celestia's abilities likely either made her powers ineffective, or kept her in a mental state that preventer her from using her powers, up until "the stars aided in her escape".

Edited February 6, 2013 by Jadefire

[Loriem 639]

Keep in mind she was banned in the moon, not on the moon. This implies that whatever sent her to the moon had the power to keep her there, so Celestia's abilities likely either made her powers ineffective, or kept her in a mental state that preventer her from using her powers, up until "the stars aided in her escape".

As I was about to say, they said IN, which to me means either she was in a dormant state inside the moon, or some other complicated magic doo-wap.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Since she was banished in the moon, her magic would not be very effective since she is literally ''in the moon''. The gravitational pull must have kept her at bay until, the stars aided her to her escape.

[immblueversion 331]

Keep in mind she was banned in the moon, not on the moon.

 

 

Personally, I don't completely understand how that slipped past so many people. Maybe it was a common mishearing to think Luna was on the moon rather than in it; people are still complaining how the narrator in episode 1 supposedly said the Elements of Harmony were the greatest magic known to "Ponyville" if Luna was banished before Ponyville was even founded, when she actually said it was the greatest magic known to "ponydom."

[Betez 1,734]

I forgot that. You're right, she was actually banished into the moon. But, I still think she'd be able to use magic up there, and be able to free herself. Maybe she fell asleep, slept for 999 years, and 354 days, woke up, and then decided to exact her revenge on Celestia.

[Jammo 986]

She was duct taped to the ground inside a crater in the sea of tranquility. Covered in dust, tape cutting into her flesh, face soaked in crusty tears, hoping, praying that her sister will show enough mercy and compassion to let her return.

[Yellow Diamond 7,569]

Presumably she was sealed away with some sort of magic. The prophesy of the stars aiding in her escape and the revealed power of the Elements of Harmony strongly suggests a magic greater than Night Mare Moon's prevented her from leaving at an earlier date.

 

One could argue that Celestia, recognizing she could no longer use the Elements apart from Luna, set it up from the very beginning so that Night Mare Moon's return would coincide with the Elements of Harmony bearers meeting each other. I vaguely recall an official source (perhaps Lauren Faust?) mentioning that Celestia always wanted to redeem Luna, but that banishment to the moon was the best she could hope for until the true bearers manifested themselves.

[Anadu Kune 668]

It would seem the magic of the elements made her part of the moon. The crater formation in the shape of nightmare moon seems to indicate as such. It would seem only a cosmic alignment with significant magical relevance could break the spell. Or perhaps and quite likley it was part of the original spell Celestia cast.

[Spectrum 117 6]

Well, she wasn't really on the moon. More like imprisoned, or maybe soulbound so she literally wouldn't be able to leave. 

Elements of Harmony, bro... they kind of are the most powerful items in Equestria.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

Ok. My first impression of this is that her body and soul is somehow "merged" with the moon, as if she became part of the moon. Or she became immaterial and this "immaterial stuff" was merged with the moon. Hence the image of the Mare in the Moon.

 

I also think that it's not Luna. Nightmare Moon is an evil entity that was born out of Luna's sorrow. Envy? Anger?

I believe that Miss Faust posted something about that on her Deviant Art blog. Lemme see if I can find it again...

 

EDIT: Here. "The Word of Faust". Came out on EqD.

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/11/lauren-fausts-nightmare-moon-banishment.html

Edited February 7, 2013 by moonlightavenger