Crystal slumped onto her cot with a groan. "I swear the captain has it out for me. So my spear was a bit off aim. It's not like I was aiming at him! And it wasn't even a close call."
Fair Facet smirked as she slid onto her own bunk above her. Her snow-white coat stood out next to her flaming orange mane. Her eyes sparkled like cut emeralds, harboring a hardness that spoke of wisdom and discipline beyond her years. "I think he has it out for all of us, Crystal," she giggled.
Crystal shot her a look. "Please. You get off easy with that damn shield spell of yours. The rest of us have to get by the old-fashioned way."
Fair just smiled, and before long Crystal found herself smiling as well before both of them broke into helpless giggles as the older mare rolled onto her back. "What can I say? It's a gift."
Crystal rolled her eyes as her head fell onto her pillow. A month into this and a part of her was wondering if this had been a good idea. Her whole body hurt in places she didn't know she could hurt. Was it even possible for her to drop out? Nopony ever had as far as she knew.
One thing, though, kept Crystal from finding that out. Her growing rivalry with Fair Facet. Something about the unicorn just drove her up a wall, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. That they shared a bunk did not help matters.
As much as they competed, however, they were fast becoming friends as well. Maybe it was the drive to outdo each other. Perhaps it was just teenage hormones talking. Neither one knew, and neither Fair nor Crystal really cared.
"You two are enjoying this way too much," Amber grumbled, as she flopped down onto her bed across from the pair. The Pegasus looked like she had just run a marathon back to back, her tan coat still wet from their earlier workout.
Fair shrugged. "I rather work for it, Amber, than the princess just gives this to us. We're meant to protect her with our lives. We can't be weak, or the tundra will eat us all alive."
"Does she need us though?" Ivy asked as she joined Amber on her bed. "Don't tell me you've never wondered what kind of pony she is. I've never even heard of a pony with both a horn and wings."
Crystal shot her a dangerous look. "That is out of line, Ivy. It isn't our place to question her."
"Then I welcome it," a new voice at the far end of the barracks said, sending all three dozen mares in the room into a frenzy of standing to attention as Princess Amicitia entered with an unknowable look on her face.
Amicitia looked around, seemingly searching for something, though what was anyone's guess, before sighing. "Please. Don't let there be any secrets between us. How many of you are thinking the same thing as Ivy?"
Suddenly, nopony could meet her gaze at all, and even the eldest mares looked away in shame. Amicitia's ears fell as she nodded. "That is what I thought."
"Your Highness. Please forgive me. I-" Ivy began, but a hoof on her lips silenced her as the princess shook her head.
"Don't be," Amicitia said with a smile, before looking around. "None of you should be. I have asked myself that same question for years, and I will tell you what I know."
Everypony was taken aback as the princess, their future empress, slumped and sniffed as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "I don't know what I am. A winged unicorn?" She asked, flaring her wings and pointing at her horn. "A horned Pegasus? A genetic freak? I don't know. Mother of All, I don't know, and I hate it!"
That was all Crystal could take as she pulled the princess into a hug, as Amicitia sniffed again. "Begging your pardon, princess. But does it really matter? I don't care what kind of pony you are."
"None of us do," Amber added, getting a unanimous round of nods and hoof stumps from the entire room, a sight that made Amicitia's heart soar.
Alongside that, she felt something else as relaxed in Crystal's grip. Something warm and fuzzy. She quickly quashed that train of thought. That was wrong of her, and she should know better than that.
Even if Crystal Dawn did have a nice flank. "Thank you," she nodded as the two pulled apart, before smiling widely. "I knew that this was not a mistake. All of you." Her smile grew as looked around the room, and the feeling was contagious, and soon everypony was smiling as well.
"Not to be rude, but did you come out here just for all this?" Fair asked after a moment, earning a glare from Crystal, but earning a giggle from the princess herself.
"As a matter of fact, no," Amicitia smirked. "That was part of the reason of course. If you all are going to be my Personal Guard, then it's time we get to know each other better. Join me by the Crystal Heart in thirty minutes. Full armor and packs. We're going on a little trip."
Everyone shared a confused look. "Who though?" One asked.
Amicitia only smiled wider. "All of you. And this is not a request before any of you think so."
That sent everypony scrambling, almost running over each other as Amicitia giggled before skipping out of the room.
Crystal was no different as she scrambled to grab all of her gear. Oh, why did it have to be now of all times? She was still sore from the training session earlier that day.
"Hooves off the princess, Crystal," Fair grumbled down to her. "Your lucky Princess Amicitia doesn't seem to be the beheading type. What if her mother had seen that? Or how you looked at her flanks?"
Crystal glared back at her. "So what? I prefer mares. Deal with it, Fair. I didn't know I needed your permission for that!"
Fair snorted. "You don't, and I could care less who you like. It's none of my business. But she is our princess and our future empress. Remember that. You would have better luck getting to the moon than ever having a chance with her."
Crystal growled as Fair slipped into her armor, before adding her pack and joining the others at the barrack entrance. Oh, that was it. Nobody talked to her like that and got away with it. Someone needed to put that damn unicorn in her place.
And Crystal Dawn was more than happy to do so.