Why didn't Celestia return the EOH to the tree of Harmony?

[Never2muchpinkie 211]

So this is something I'm curious about. I mean, it's easy to say "Because the writers hadn't though of the TOH yet", but in-universe it's basically said that taking out the elements to use against Discord was a risk. Yet after beating Discord they held onto the elements. And then after sealing away Luna after she had turned into NMM, she just left them to become inactive in the remains of her castle.

[Nature's Spell 526]

A fascinating question indeed. Two things come to mind and I think they are connected. First, Celestia clearly saw value in them as a way to defend Equestria. She used them on Discord, Luna and Sombra, it seems, so they became a bit of a crutch. However once she banished Luna she lost her connection, but it's possible she forsaw new barers. The second she saw Twilight's cutie mark she knew what she was. The problem is she was way too casual and should have listened to Luna's doubt a bit more.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Nature's Spell

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Maybe removing them from the tree is the risky part she was referring to? Up until the premiere, there wasn't an explicit need to return them to the tree and there didn't seem to be any benefit to doing it either. You could ask why she didn't keep them closer if she didn't plan to return them, but if I remember right she was unable to use them anymore after she banished Luna and keeping them close may just have brought back bad memories or something like that. I think leaving them in the castle, someplace nobody's likely to go and rob on their own accord but a place where they can be retrieved if need be, makes some sense.

Edited January 27, 2014 by DashForever

[Never2muchpinkie 211]

Well I suppose you can also look at it as simple heartache for having to use something that showed a bond between them against her sister. So she left them and her castle behind because it was too painful. 

 

My personal headcanon is that the tree and elements were sealing away a dark power that existed before the time of the sisters. That is why the forest is so different from the rest of equestria. We saw in the castle episode that a shadow pony does exist and it showed up  after the tree was almost destroyed. That was probably the risk that was refered to.

[CandyRush 75]

 

 

We saw in the castle episode that a shadow pony does exist and it showed up after the tree was almost destroyed. That was probably the risk that was refered to.

 

 

Your probably right. Man I have so many theories I need to say about the TOH that it would take me an 1 hour to type half of them. And "the shadow pony  is the risk that was refered to"is one of them. The shadow pony is probably trying to get the tree destroyed again, but bit by bit.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

Well there was no point in returning the elements to the tree. Also the elements would be needed again when Nightmare Moon broke out and other enemy that attacked (Discord). If Celestia put the elements back they could not take them out.

 

We saw in the castle episode that a shadow pony does exist and it showed up  after the tree was almost destroyed. That was probably the risk that was refered to.

 

And "the shadow pony  is the risk that was refered to"is one of them. The shadow pony is probably trying to get the tree destroyed again, but bit by bit.

 

Yeah, I heard the shadow Pony was just a deduction to Scooby-Doo and they aren't going to use the Shadow Pony for any other episodes. 

Edited January 28, 2014 by pinkiefan1287

[Scootalove 10,689]

That's a good question. I never really saw a point in returning the elements to tree either, though you would be better off asking why she didn't keep them closer with her but she decided not to return them to the Tree of Harmony because she didn't want to bring any old memories of her battle with Nightmare Moon again.

[Koelath 445]

Obviously because she would rather use them to defend Equestria. There was no apparent harm in them not being in the tree, after all. And after she and Luna disconnected, for all she knew, they were inactive anyway.