The Royal Guard is often made up of families, whose sons and daughters go into training from childhood to take the mantle. In particular, the Night Guard often fall in family lines, as the Thestrals can’t do much else in society even since Luna’s return. Many of the Guards already know one another before they join up, and stay friends even if one doesn’t make the cut.

Cloud Skipper, Florence, Aster and Midnight Blossom were like any other group of Guard brats, until one day, Skipper disappeared without a trace. The three mares didn’t know what to do, and four years later, they’ve all joined the Guard and he hasn’t been found. They still want to see him come back, but when he’s finally found, he’s nothing like the Skipper they grew up with.

Who’s responsible for his transformation? Can his spirit be repaired, or will he never be any more than a monster in equine form? How will his friends’ lives change by his presence? The questions hang over the four of them throughout their waking lives. They may not want to know the answers, but leaving them unknown might be worse…
~
…Well, it's sorta related to Knightmares, anyway.

Rated Teen for bloody violence and occasional swearing, but no over-the-top gore. This may change later.

Most of the Royal Guards who appear in this story were originally created by Equestria-Prevails, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust.

[If I think of anything else that you probably need to know, I'll update here.]