How and Why did Celestia come to power?

[ActFast231 432]

So, we all know that Celestia and Luna were not around when Equestria was formed. But supposedly they came to power a little while later. Judging from the Fan-Episode Snowdrop (awesome story BTW) they ruled for about 100+ years before Luna became Nightmare Moon. I just found myself asking "How did they come to power in the first place? And why?" I don't know if this is ever addressed, but I suppose we can theorize for now. That's what we can do here. How do you think Celestia and Luna gained control of Equestria? And why?

[Betez 1,734]

I think that, when Discord was ruling, they overthrew him. The people of Equestria I guess liked them enough, that they let them rule. And they've been ruling since.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I think Celestia and Luna came into power in Equestria because, in my opinion I think that the citizens were in need of a princess to help them bring the nation up from what they once were in despair meaning they needed someone to lead them to a new beginning and a new nationalism life. I think that is why people classify Celestia's rule as a monarchy and well when years started to pass they allowed Celestia and Luna to come into power.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

This thread appears to be discussing MLP:FiM in some way, shape or form. Thus, it has been sentenced to Show Discussion.

 

This is an automatically generated message, by the way.

[Telegraph 115]

She did a good job.

 

It's kinda odd that they weren't there at the forming of Equestria, seeing as they are the ones that control the moon and sun, and they are seemingly immortal. Maybe they were made by team of super scientist unicorns? Or super mage unicorns? Genetically engineered to fulfill the needs of Equestria. But when they were created, they turned on their masters.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

According to Hearth's Warming Eve, the Unicorns themselves used to control the Sun and the Moon before Celestia and Luna came to power, but I guess when they did eventually come to rule over Equestria, they took over that duty, as well as the administrative duties of being the leaders of a nation.

 

As for why they actually came to power, I'd say their defeat of Discord is probably what led the ponies that lived in Equestria all those centuries ago to nominate them as their new leaders.

[Dreadmallon 353]

 

All jokes aside, I believe that she was appointed the princess after her and Luna defeated Discord. She was the oldest, and shown to be more mature than Luna.

[Lionheart27 33]

They defeated Discord, apparently sometime after the land was settled by the three factions of pony, but the rest has honestly always been kinda vague. Did they start out with a smaller area to rule, and saw the danger Equestria was in under Discord, or did they simply stumble into the role, in a way?

[Veylon 255]

 

Maybe they were made by team of super scientist unicorns? Or super mage unicorns? Genetically engineered to fulfill the needs of Equestria. But when they were created, they turned on their masters.

This is the headcanon I'm going with. Except the "turned on their masters" part.

 

But, like pretty much everyone else, I'm assuming they derive their legitimacy from Discord's defeat. 

[Zygen 6,066]

I think that whenever Discords reign ended is when Celestia and Luna came to power by defeating them, I think it was kinda like their reward.

 

Thats just kinda been my headcannon really.

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

During season one I was of the opinion that they where some sort of deities. Maybe they even had made Equestria. But then came season two and apparently they where not around. One possible explanation is that they were artificially created to wield the Elements of Harmony and defeat Discord.

 

But after seeing S3E13, to me, it feels that they where normal ponies at an unknown time and maybe they discovered the Elements of Harmony and mastered both friendship and magic. Thus they "ascended" into alicorns.

 

however, the Hearth's Warming Eve episode shows two alicorns in the equestrian flag. To me they were Celestia and Luna. They may not look like them, but they were flying opposite to each other, like the sun and the moon. I still think that they are something beyond normal ponies made alicorns. They are so different, physically, to the other alicorns we know. I'd really like the show to give us some info on this issue.

 

EDIT: By the way, I think they came to power after beating Discord. He may have screwed things so bad that the ponies needed them to make things right again. After that, they stayed in power. Probably because they were doing such a good job.

Edited March 25, 2013 by moonlightavenger

[Salixa1234 3]

I think, like many others that Celestia and Luna came to power by defeating Discord. I do think that both Celestia and Luna would hace to prove themselves a bit more before becoming princesses. Because although they have the power, they need to prove they have the dignity and tact to rule. All in all i think they took leadership of Equestria  

[Phoenix237 353]

Simple it's the most cliche bringing into powers story.

We have a villan (Discrod) that is ruling the ponie and making their lives miserable. The hero(s) (Celestia & Luna) come from somewhere or nowhere (depends) and faces the villan. Villan loses, the people take back the throne, and the hero(s) get crowned rulers of the kingdom (equestria).

 

Yup

That about summarizes the most cliche coming into power scenario.

[NavelColt 22,881]

I think that, when Discord was ruling, they overthrew him. The people of Equestria I guess liked them enough, that they let them rule. And they've been ruling since.

 

This has more or less always been my head canon. Discord's rule is one of the oldest known happenings in ancient pony history; we know it was before Sombra & Nightmare Moon which happened 1000 years ago, since Luna would have to have been uncorrupted and working with Celestia to overthrow Discord. The early settlers of what would later be known as Equestria were under Discord's chaotic rule for who knows how long, before Celestia and Luna came from who knows where, stumbled upon the land most likely and, being righteous and good, knew they had to overthrow Discord.

 

The early settler ponies probably deitized Luna and Celestia, treating them nothing short of gods to have overthrown chaos itself. They probably insisted that they remain there and aid them in building their civilization. They became ruling princesses from there, I assume.

 

Even though it's fairly outdated and doesn't contain some things, much of my earlier head canon about it can be explained here.

[silvadel 1,393]

Hey, Chillax — you don't want us to rule?  We have a statue of Discord right over there.  We can free him and get out of your hair any time you want.  At the same time you set up a school system and by the time two generations pass, nopony knows any better.