Why was Luna initially banished instead of reformed?

[spacestorm 183]

@@Mylittlealicorn,

EoH have nothing to do with controlling the sun and the moon.

 

It's not a stupid question at all.

I see two possibilities here.

1. As you said - each of them can take control over the two celestial bodies - on the one hand, it conflicts with their cutie marks. But in the first episode when NMM returned she caused that the sun won't came out. Unfortunately, we don't what exactly happened - maybe she beat and imprisoned Celestia and thus took control over the sun.
2. The second possibility is that the whole control over the sun and the moon are just metaphors, and in fact they are bound with these celestial bodies being a some kind of avatars. Or are connected with them in other way, being able to draw power from them or sending energy toward them. So if one is defeated or loses power/bounding it shouldn't change anything (maybe, except that then it is easier to take control). So, to take control of the sun or the moon, a different kind of power or magic is required. From "The Return of Harmony" we know that Discord also can control the sun and moon.

However, in both cases, the normal daily control over the sun and the moon doesn't have to require considerable amount of energy. Perhaps there is need only to make small adjustments to the course, or there is no need to do anything at all but just keep an eye on it and react only when something unusual happens.

[Planty 1,052]

If Celestia freed Luna, she would have tried to defeat Celestia then plunge Equestria into an eternal night forever. So, she had to banish Luna inside of the moon and it kept her occupied for 1000 years of course.

 

I guess this also gave her a lot of time to reflect on what she was trying to do. Like she said when she was released from NMM, "I miss you sister".

 

I think the 1000 years allowed her to change

[NavelColt 22,877]

I've merged the following topics together, as they all cover the same subject of why Luna was banished initially as opposed to being reformed:

• 'Headcanon, why was Luna banished instead of reformed?'
• 'Why was Luna initially banished instead of reformed?'
• 'Why do you think Luna was banished for 1000 yrs. instead of freed immediately?'

[FNGRpony 655]

Well as i like to call the earlier days,

 

the dark suck years,

Equistra was more brutal.

 

Chaos rained,

sombra was running wild,

the night rebelled,

celestials number one student didn't do that friend ship garbage.

 

Maybe liniantcy wasn't something ponies were thinking about.

[Ianpiersonjdavis 512]

I honestly think the backstory if the first 2 episodes could have been done a lot better. It's like in the Wizard of Oz. The Witch could have told Dorthy to click her heels, but instead she made her go on this long hour and a half adventure. I guess Celestia just wanted Twilight to make some friends.

 

I agree with this theory, especially since Celestia more or less says as much when Twilight brings in up at the end of the second part of the pilot.

 

Probably in preparation for future threats such as Discord and King Sombra as 1000 years appears to be the trend in which magical seals and banishment spells wear off in Equestria.

[Cwanky 17,472]

While I do find the whole Celestia not controlling the full extent of the Elements of Harmony argument interesting as to why Luna was banished, its only a very small part of her reasons. You are all missing the bigger picture.

 

Luna was banished to the moon ultimately because she was not ready to be reformed. I mean she was full of pure hatred, pride lust for power and directed all these emotions against her sister Celestia and Equestria. The Elements of Harmony can't simply "reform" someone magically and make a problem go away. Its not that simple. They can do so, but it would require that that person was willing enough to change or had enough goodness inside of them.

 

Look at both of the times that Discord was banished w/ the Elements of Harmony. At the end of the day he was not ready and could not be reformed yet, much like Luna and once he was free, he was still just as easily inclined to hurt and torment others. I would argue in fact that Celestia's consoling of her sister after the Elements of Harmony purged her of Nightmare Moon was just as if not more important than using them against her.

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

Celestia had to use Luna's elements and we know that she couldn't use those to their full power to uncorrupt her sister so I guess the Elements have secondary effects depending on how much power is in the wielders.