@CMC Scootaloo  
I hate to disagree, but even though harmony is order, brainwashing simply is not.
 
Also, if the Elements could just be removed willy-nilly, then what was the point of Rainbow Power? Hmm?

@PonyPon
 
Yes. As the title “Element of Magic” already says, it is destined to be wielded by somepony with very powerful magic. It does not rely on a character trait, like the other Elements, so it’s not specifically tied to a certain pony. Starlight could probably wield it too, if she wanted, same as any other powerful unicorn.
 
And the issue already explained why it didn’t work; Harmony and Order are two very similar things, the magic of Accord and the magic of the Elements of Harmony operate on the same basics, so, the magic of the latter was without effect on him.

@CMC Scootaloo  
So, forcing it to work?
 
No wonder it backfired.

@PonyPon
 
She did and expressed this means she and Luna can’t use them anymore due to that.  
But there she was referring to her and Luna using ALL of the Elements to defeat Discord, like they did the first time.  
Here, she just used the Element of Magic alone, with the other Element Bearers present and with, on top of that, being a powerful alicorn who should have enough magical strength to bend the Element of MAGIC to her will.  
Under these circumstances, it is perfectly reasonable that it worked.

@CMC Scootaloo  
Didn’t she say in Discord’s first episode that she and Luna were no longer bonded to them?

@redweasel
 
You are acting like the pilot episode ever said anywhere that Celestia can’t use it anymore.

@laofuzi  
As the comic states, Accord’s sense of order actually fed back into the elements (since they want harmony and order), which caused all of the others to turn to Accord’s way. In other words, Celestia’s plan backfired.

Wait a second, if the elements of harmony are meant to put everything in the universe in order, wouldn’t Accord’s magic be immune to such magic?

yes you would. you would worry if you were anyone. don’t explain away the freaking premise of the freaking pilot episode as if it never happened.

@Background Pony #298F
 
Harmony is order. A magic that is based on order and harmony can’t destroy a creature that is already an Element of Order itself. You can’t stop a flood by spilling more water on it and you can’t stop a fire from burning by igniting even more things.  
It would have needed an opposite power to achieve the defeat of Accord, a water for his fire. They would have needed Elements of Chaos for that, not Elements of Harmony.
 

 
@dynamicv
 
You. I’m starting to like you.

@soundtea  
and then somehow make it not work despite it making no god damn sense and using fucking spongebob levels of logic in a slightly more logical story…….
 
fuck these comics. they are spongebob episodes. at this point the shit has outlasted the quality.

@Digitalgame  
Well if you recall the flashback, Celestia says:  

 
If we assume the Plundervines aren’t dead now (which would render this whole problem moot) and merely suppressed, then the Elements would have to remain in the Tree at least enough time to restore some of this “powerful magic” before removing them again.
 
The first time the Elements were removed, the Tree was able to last 1000 years without them. They only fixed it recently, so I doubt they could take the Elements out for as long as that anymore. But if the Tree recharges while the Elements are inserted, then perhaps there’s enough magic restored for them to borrow the Elements, as long as they return them soon.

@dynamicv  
In which case, shouldn’t the everfree b e consuming ponyville again by now because of all that chaos?

Emm but the tree ate them.

@Ship trash
 
I think the reasoning is the mane six gave them up in the process of restoring the tree, so presumably once it was healed, celestia could take them once again, like she and luna did originally.
 
(I haven’t actually read the issues yet, just going by what i’ve heard).

@dynamicv  
Seems like you and IDW have forgotten that the elements are tied to the mane 6 and that Celestia herself said that she and Luna are no longer tied to them, meaning she shouldn’t be able to use them. In other words this plan is stupid and Celestia should’ve known that.

Good thing they kept the necklaces around?
 
I hope the tree can stand without them for a bit.

Hey remember that thing that the show gave up that made it feel like it was maturing a bit, the characters giving up their deus ex machina? Yeah, lets drag that plot element right back in.

I gave on this story a while back, but seriously IDW just create a stories that are slice of life. It’s so simple you don’t need to creat headache inducing stories like this. Just a nice story of how Pinkie invited everyone over to bake a cake, or the gang visits cheese sandwich, or I don’t know a day in the life of Celestia. There are like a bazillion different nice stories that could be told instead of all this convoluted stuff.

Weren’t the elements returned

Inb4 everyone forgets the flashback in season 4 where we literally see that Celestia can remove the Elements from the Tree of Harmony.

Ah, gotta bring out the old plot device.