armony always found a way to protect Equestria and the lands beyond by bringing guardians of all shapes and sizes to protect her and all nations beyond. From the Pillars, the fellowship of legendary ponies who would protect the young kingdom through their virtues, to the Mane Six, the six ponies who protect their home a thousand moons later through their elements, to the Young Six, the six young creatures of all sorts who continue to protect the pony kingdom and carry with them the virtues and elements of their predecessors while showing us the magic of friendship. Each of these three groups has a representative that has a tie to one another, through their character and virtue/element.
 
After Equestria was founded, a newfound harmony came to be between the three pony tribes (the Unicorns, the Pegasi, and the Earth Ponies) through friendship. However, danger and evil threatened the new pony nation. In order to maintain and share the light and virtues that shine within all, six legendary ponies, two from each tribe, were united and together they stood against the darkness, serving as Equestria’s pillars through their virtues.
 
Representing the Pillars of Old Equestria is the powerful Unicorn wizard Star Swirl the Bearded. He is known for creating more than 200 spells, being “the father of the amniomorphic spell”, and “the most important conjurer of the pre-classical era.” He was even the pony who trained the young Alicorns, Celestia and Luna, to rule the newly founded Equestria, and uphold the harmony between the three pony tribes, believing that this can be best achieved by Alicorns, who physically and magically represent all three tribes. After they were coronated, the two sisters began their journey to becoming the first and in time the best rulers Equestria would ever have. All the while, Star Swirl trained the new princesses with magic. Then one day, the five great Unicorns who once raised and lowered the sun and moon wound up permanently depleting their magic to do so; even Star Swirl—the only one from the team able to withstand this process—tried to lower the moon by himself and lost his own magic as a result. He then told the sisters that, as Alicorns, they would not only be unharmed by raising and lowering the sun and moon, but their magic would also be rejuvenated. Acting on instinct, Luna successfully managed to lower the moon while Celestia raised the sun. Upon their completion, the sisters finally earned their cutie marks. With their magic strengthened by the sun and moon, the sisters were able to restore Star Swirl and the other unicorns’ magic, and he ended his training with them. The legendary sorcerer recorded his knowledge in his journal, thus possessing powerful magic in the tome. But of all these fantastic feats, none would be even more legendary than his fellowship with Rockhoof, Mage Meadowbrook, Somnambula, Mistmane, and Flash Magnus, becoming the Pillars of Equestria. Star Swirl came to represent the virtue of Sorcery.
 
When the Pillars of Old Equestria were forced to banish Stygian/the Pony of Shadows and themselves to Limbo, they left behind a magic seed through their enchanted possessions in hopes that one day it would grow into a force to stand against the darkness for all time. And sure enough it did, as the Tree of Harmony. It carried the best elements that shined within the Pillars and Equestria’s foundations. For a while, the princesses of Equestria, Celestia and Luna wielded these Elements to protect their kingdom from more foes. But a thousand moons after Celestia was forced to trap her fallen sister to the moon, the Elements of Harmony would find new bearers: six mares, two from each type of ponies, who each represent the elements that together forge friendship.
 
Representing the Mane Six is the magical Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. Dutiful and intelligent, nopony has a love of learning unmatched in all of Equestria than Twilight Sparkle. She once studied so much, she made no time for anypony else. In fact, she thought friends were a distraction. That is until her mentor, Princess Celestia charged her with the study of a special kind of magic—friendship! Newly converted to the joys of having friends, she uses her knowledge and unusually powerful gift for magical spells to help her companions in Ponyville and all creatures around the world. Though her attention to detail can become extreme at times, Twilight’s eagerness to lend a helping hoof endears her to her friends, and when the going gets tough, her big brain and love for her friends transform her into a natural born leader! Thanks to Twilight, there’s no problem the Mane Six can’t overcome with the magic of friendship. So now, she’s not only become an expert in magic, but in friendship too. Because Twilight not only mastered magic but also created magic of her own through such friendship, she elevated from simple ponyhood to become an Alicorn and the Princess of Friendship. It’s Twilight’s duty to make sure everypony feels like they belong by building and nurturing friendships all over Equestria and beyond. Twilight Sparkle, who felt the spark ignited inside her when she realized that Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were her friends, represents the Element of Magic.
 
Through the Elements of Harmony and the magic of their friendship, the Mane Six would continue to protect their home from enemies, old and new. Even after freeing the Pillars from Limbo and making amends with Stygian, they all knew that they couldn’t keep the world safe forever. When Twilight opened up a school of friendship to walks of life, even she didn’t know that she managed to find successors. Attending the school were six creatures students, one representing each race, and while they became fast friends, they would play an even bigger role given to them by the Spirit of the Tree of Harmony.
 
Representing the Young Six is the true blue Griffon Gallus. He is sarcastic, and can seem a little mean. But look past that gruff exterior, and you’ll see a Griffon whose really a big softie at heart. After getting to know some of his fellow students who would come to be his first friends, he acts more friendly and warm but maintains some level of nonchalance (and has a tendency to tease and play pranks on his friends). Gallus, however, has a very sad history. As an orphan in a civilization of egotistical griffons, he has no family. On Hearth’s Warming Eve, to prevent going back to his uncaring “home,” he sabotaged the Hearth’s Warming Tree and kept it a secret in order to stay with his friends. When his friends started arguing and accusing each other of causing the sabotage, he confessed to them, not wanting them to fight over what he did. When the rest of gang learned that he had no family of his own, they agreed to stay with him. And it’s all that that reveals his element. And what is it? You guessed it! MAGIC! It’s quite a shocker, considering the fact that with his sarcastic attitude and aversion to studying he’s more the opposite of Twilight Sparkle, and he isn’t good at casting spells either. BUT we’ve got to remember what the element actually is. The Element of Magic is the power of friendship, and knowing that it actually makes a lot more sense why it would appear to Gallus. He never got to experience anything even close to friendship growing up in Griffonstone. Griffons only have one day of the year where they even attempt to be nice to each other, but with no family of his own the orphaned Gallus never even got that. When he went to the School of Friendship and met the rest of the Young Six, he got to have that kind of companionship for the first time and it became something he couldn’t bear to lose. That’s why he tried to get everyone punished into staying at school over the holidays: Even if it was only for a short time, he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving his friends and going back to that place where nobody cares. Although he tries to hide it with sarcasm and acting aloof, Gallus has proven to be the one who cherishes their friendship most of all, and thus truly earned the Element of Magic. Not to mention he and his friends for life (Yona, Sandbar, Silverstream, Ocellus, and Smolder) rallied everycreature to help the Mane Six and Pillars of Old Equestria defeat the three remaining villains. A true hero and a true friend.
 
Just like the Pillars of Old Equestria and the Mane Six, the Young Six would bring harmony through their virtues, elements, and the magic of friendship, not only to the ponies, just as their predecessors did, but to all creatures, and they continue to the day.
 
 
Here’s the latest batch of the Mane Six, Pillars, and Young Six together. Representing Magic are Twilight Sparkle, Star Swirl and Gallus.
 
Star Swirl, Twilight Sparkle, Gallus by me