Many Equestrians know the tales of the pillars, passed down as folk legends and fireside tales of heroism, figments of the imagination and no more. What most Equestrians don’t know is that there is a thread of truth to be found within these tales.

It all began with the great Starswirl the Bearded, who once served as court magician and historian in the last years of the rule of the two sisters. The wizard came to power when Princess Luna was transformed into Nightmare Moon, and a civil war began within the empire. Celestia made him her right-hoof stallion, and he aided her as she battled her sister for power over their kingdom. It was him who suggested that the Elements of Harmony would bring the war to an end, knowing that their magic would banish Luna to the moon. He does not regret this decision, as he had always favored Celestia.
As the war ended, and the dust settled, Starswirl was now one of the most powerful ponies in the realm. It was at this time that he took his first and only apprentice, Stygian. He and Stygian traveled far and wide in search of magical knowledge and history. As Starswirl traveled, he assembled a team of ponies who also served their people in the name of the safety of the empire. They became the pillars, the brave few who devoted their lives to Equestira and it’s safety.

The first pony they encountered on their journeys, was Mistmane, an elderly mare from the far east. Mistmane came from a culture obsessed with beauty and appearances, and her curved horn and enchanted mane spoke of this, and even in her old age, she was still beautiful beyond words. She told Starswirl of her battle with Sable Spirit, the tyrannical empress of her people, who she defeated. The spell the performed to do this aged her body, but her inner beauty remained. After she ensured the safety of her people, she left her homeland to travel the world, using her magic and kindness to help others in need. Starswirl offered to aid her in her quest, and she joined them in their journeys.

They traveled for many years before they were next met with a pony whose heroism was legendary. Somnambula was found in the equatorial deserts of Equestria, waiting in a long line of succession for the throne of her kingdom. Somnambula was a formidable warrior and strategist, who defeated a mighty sphinx with only her wits and courage, and was rewarded for her bravery by being adopted by the aging Pharaoh. She had many others between her and the throne, and found no fulfillment as a princess. Though she was still a teenager, when Starswirl and his growing band of heroes came into town, she leapt at the chance to join them. She abandoned her crown and fled with them, hoping to once again use her courage and wit to help ponies in need.

Though it took years to find Somnambula, it took only weeks to find another hero to serve Equestria. Flash Magnus was a young Pegasus warrior, sent with an army to the Dragonlands to rescue a lost prince. When it was deemed too risky to go in and save the prince, the rest of the army simply turned and went home, with a crafted lie that the prince was already dead and lost. Young Flash Magnus could not stand for such cowardice and disloyalty to the prince, and stayed behind, labeled a deserter and forgotten. He alone went into the heart of the dragonlands to retrieve the prince. Using his skills in the air and bravery in the face of danger, he was able to save the young prince and escape, though he was badly wounded in the process. After his trials, he returned to the kingdom of Cloudsdale with the prince in toe, and was welcomed as a hero. While he adored the prince, who he had bonded with on their journey, he could not stay in the kingdom who had shown such disloyalty to one of their own. With a tearful goodbye, he left his kingdom to travel the world. Soon after his departure, he met Starswirl and was so moved by their quest, that he joined them then and there.

The penultimate addition to their group was Rockhoof, whose heroism was so great, that his own body grew to accommodate his greatness. Born into a village at the base of a great volcano, he always lived in the shadow of others. He was the local whipping boy, bullied endlessly by his peers, until the eruption. The rain of lava and fire sent his people into a hysterical frenzy, and many were lost in the chaos. But young Rockhoof was brave, and helped guide survivors to safety in the sea. He went back into the blazing village multiple times, putting his own life at risk to save others. When the dist settled and the erruption ended, the young pony was so covered in soot he seemed ten times his own size, and all were shocked that when the dust was brushed away, Rockhoof was no longer the runt, but the largest of them all. His village was destroyed of course, but he and his people were strong, and began to rebuild. When Starswirl caught wind of the tale, he was eager to meet and recruit Rockhoof for his cause. Rockhoof was hesitant, as he was still a small, young pony inside, but eventually he agreed, leaving his people behind to travel the world.

The final addition to their band of heroes, was Mage Meadowbrook. A healer was the perfect addition to their team, with her devotion to the health of others making her the perfect protector of Equestria. The issue was that she did not want to join them. Meadowbrook and her people were only just beginning to recover from a plague when Starswirl and his followers arrived. Even Meadorbook’s skills as a healer could not save all of those who fell ill, and her small swamp-side village was nearly half of its original size, and the illness had claimed the other healer, Meadowbrook’s own mother. The young mare did not want to leave her people when they were still so weak, saying that when the time came, they could summon her to fight for Equestria. Starswirl did not like this answer to his call, and even began to doubt that she was who they were looking for. When push came to shove though, Meadowbrook eventually agreed to join them, and left her people. Her fears came true however, and within a few short years only a handful of her people remained.