Talk:The Journal of the Two Sisters/@comment-29981995-20190425085838

So I actually had an idea for how you could reconcile the Tree of Harmony's depiction in this book with the revelations of Shadow Play. I'll be the first to admit, it requires a good bit of extrapolation, but I think it's at least somewhat plausible. It relies on the fact that, in the Journal of the Two Sisters, Star Swirl is constantly messing around with time travel. Well, I figure that what could have happened is this: Star Swirl may have taken the other Pillars back in time-without their knowledge-to plant the seed for the Tree.

Essentially, Star Swirl discovers through some means that he is among those responsible for the Tree's creation. Upon meeting the other Pillars and learning of the threat of the Pony of Shadows, he realizes that the six of them are meant to imbue their magic into a crystal seed. They then travel back in time so that the Tree has grown by the time that Equestria is founded, but its existence is so secret that the other Pillars are unaware of it. This allows them to be surprised when they learn of it in the present, and also doesn't invalidate their statement that they planted the seed over a thousand years ago. It's just that, unbeknownst to anyone but Star Swirl, it was done a lot further back than the other Pillars are aware.