//------------------------------// // History of the Mare in the Moon // Story: History of the Mare in the Moon // by Öthnæar //------------------------------// The day the sister princesses ascended the throne was not a joyous occasion. The queen, who was their mother, had passed, and as was her dying wish, the princesses would rule together. The queen had made this decision so that the older princess, Celestia, did not assume absolute power. Celestia had always been overconfident, and she possessed a hunger for power that she thought Luna’s much milder nature would counteract, giving the nation an effective pair of rulers. Unfortunately, this was not the case, as we all know. The two princesses argued for many days, trying to decide which aspects of the country each would rule. Eventually, they came to an agreement. Celestia would rule the day, whereas Luna would rule the night. Luna was content with this agreement, for she was in a position to act as the counterbalance that was needed. Celestia, on the other hoof, was not content with the agreement. She saw the entire position of ruler as hers by birthright. As time went on, Celestia kept raising the sun earlier and earlier, trying to usurp her sister and assume full control. At first, Luna let her sister do this, but as the nights got increasingly shorter, she realized something must be done. Rallying the ponyfolk, who had grown tired from the lack of sleep, she started a petition. It is said that all the ponies in equestrian signed this petition. The petition outlined many reasons for there to be longer nights, and begged Celestia to raise the sun at a later hour. However, the princess refused. She saw the petition as an attack on her power, so she sent the Equestrian Armed Forces to stop this ‘rebellion.’ Luna, seeing her sister’s actions, knew she had to act. She called together her own forces, which far exceeded in numbers that of her sister’s. She then raised the moon, and held it in place for many hours as her army pressed forwards against Celestia. However, Celestia proved far more powerful than Luna could have imagined, and she soon single hoofedly smote Luna’s forces. She then faced her sister, quickly defeating her too. Now in a position to satisfy her hunger for power, she imprisoned her sister in her beloved moon, intending to keep her there until she yields to the Princess of the Sun.