Plot Bunny Theater: The Movement of the Heavens · 7:45pm Dec 23rd, 2019
In the past, each tribe of Ponies developed their own way of controlling the sun and Moon (or making replacements). The unicorns just got there first.
The Earth ponies constructed a gigantic Stonehenge like structure to channel their magic through to move the sun and moon. Or rather, move the Earth itself around the other bodies.
The Pegasi created what amounts to the magical equivalent of an open air fusion reactor to provide themselves with sunlight and warmth, that could also alter the electromagnetosphere of the planet to channel that heat and light where it was needed.
The unicorns just needed a large group of very powerful mages to raise and lower the celestial bodies. This had the price of the mages suffering burnout from the effort and strain over the years, but was the most cost effective.
In time, the massive projects of the Earth ponies and Pegasi were too costly to maintain and after the Alliance of the Three Tribes, were seen as unnecessary.
But those efforts still exist. And in the wrong hooves, could do terrible things.
I can't help but imagine a winged Palpatine declaring "Now witness the power of this full armed and operational battlecloud!"
I really like the idea of the Stonehenge, maybe powered by the ancient artifact called The Sunstone that was once guarded by the flutter ponies. Daring Do is on the case.
When Maud said that with the right rock you could rule Equestria this is one of MANY options she was considering.
5173800
I figure it would essentially be a gigantic runic computer.
The Earth Ponehenge method would essentially alter the planet's momentum, spin, and center of balance to adjust the orbits of the other bodies in the system. They had ambitions of maybe one day putting a similar henge on the Moon and maybe, far in the future, on the sun. This would grant them a lot more control but for the moment, as long as you did the math right, the Ponehenge on Equus would be sufficient to at least have a day/night cycle.
Main problems with the Ponehenge were that it required a LOT of Earth ponies channeling power, and if you did the math wrong (easy to do in a three body system) you could end up causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions all over Equus-Or, worse still, end up crashing into the sun or moon.
5173848
Gigantic runic computer you say...
https://www.xkcd.com/505/
5173852
Exactly. With magic rocks serving as Turing gates, the Ponehenge calculates orbital speeds, positions, and other factors. Alter the calculations and you can control the entire Equus system-Or destroy it.
5173786
The Pegasi method was essentially a massive expansion of their weather control magic, pushing it to harness electromagnetism and the Strong and Weak Nuclear forces to the point of fusing hydrogen into helium in a miniature version of the sun. They would further control the emissions of this sun and direct them where it needed to go. The effort would have been massive though and nuclear fusion can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable.
And easy to use as a superweapon.
5173859
Perhaps the Rings of Scorchero were some sort of control device to it.
5173862
It's possible. Or the Rings of Scorchero were based on the control system for the Pegasi Mini-Sun.
That Stonehenge idea is legit. More paganism please. I like to think the pegasi just bullied the others into doing the heavy lifting and wrangled clouds to help out when it suited them.
5173889
Well, more like Paganistic magic-science.
5173895
Hey, when you make your living making accurate astronomical predictions and planning impressive displays you get QUITE scientific.
Was the Stonehenge runic computer in reference to Discworld, or in ignorance of it?
5174182
Technically Stonehenge is a Runic computer ours is used for predicting solar eclipses, and setting Farming cycles.
I would imagine that the Earth ponies is also like a circular large slide rule. So, as it is energized, bits are slid about as current, and destination positions (sun, moon, planet) are input, this adjusts the Ritual array so that at full charge it moves things into the proper next position. But like any computer it suffers from GIGO. If you put in the wrong co-ordinates Things get Exciting.
Oh boy, time for some madpony or group of madponies to bring out an apocalypse-level threat.
5174184
In essence? This, yes. You are correct.