Ponies have their own reasons why they wanted to join the Royal Guard.

Some wanted fame, others wanted to uphold family tradition, and then there are those who just wanted to help protect Equestria and its inhabitants.

For Tender Heart however, it was a surefire way to keep himself fed with a roof over his head. So without hesitation, he enlisted as a cadet so that he can one day climb up the ranks and be a guard with a steady living wage.

But now that his first semester of training is completed and the mandatory 3-month leave for all first-year cadets is just around the corner, Tender Heart sends in a request to be allowed stay in the castle for the duration of his leave as he has nowhere else to go, offering to work as a custodian, janitor or helper in return for food and shelter.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for him, fate has other plans for him.

With only a kind heart to his name, will it be enough for him to face the trials, tragedies, and terrors that are about to come his way?