//------------------------------//
// Canterlot Armed Forces 
// Story: Warmth in an Arctic Jungle 
// by HonorInDefeat 
//------------------------------//

	The Main hangar at Canterlot Military Central was as busy as ever, the room was dominated by two key features: the massive assignment blackboard and the large group of Canterlot Airponies also awaiting assignment. Shining Armor intently looked over the blue-clad group, looking for his close friend Soarin as he made his way through the crowd towards the assignment board. His name was already near the top, but the slot next to his labeled “security” was empty. In spite of his impeccable record, Shining Armor was never permitted to travel through hostile territory without at least one security dispatch. No one ever seemed to notice that he always just happened to end up with Soarin as a private guard. Cadence knew all along what was happening in his mind, she knew her "Marriage" to Shining Armor was largely for appearance. She was always OK with it, Shining Armor was still her good friend and she understood that all stallions, no matter how great or small have needs. Needs that sometimes a mare couldn't fulfill. Besides, it wasn’t hard for a princess to have her own needs satisfied.


Armor was still looking through the Airpony ranks when he got to the main desk under the blackboard. After he snapped back to reality, he was asked if he had any preferences for his security partner; he somewhat shyly asked if Soarin was available for the mission. The clerk at the desk directed a Pegasus to add the name in Armor’s empty slot while she spoke into the PA system. “Soarin report to hangar Hotel Uniform Bravo, Soarin to Hotel Uniform Bravo.” With that, Shining Armor was dismissed to the proper hanger and could only hope that Soarin was available. Somehow though, these thing always had a way of working out.


Shining Armor made his way over to the deployment area, he was clearly one of the last to arrive as the small group of Guards and Airponies had already settled in. Flash Sentry entered the room and ordered everyone to calm down before explaining the tasks ahead of them. As the seats in the room began to fill up with guards and their respective partners, Shining Armor’s heart began to sink; Soarin was nowhere to be found. As Sentry continued to detail the upcoming scouting mission in the Griffonite Kingdom, Armor found himself looking wistfully at the door. “Alright as I’m sure you’ve noticed, this is an interbranch task. Griff’s lands are cold, harsh and huge; We’ve been fighting for four years and it looks like the Equestrian Embargo is only putting a scratch in their armor so the last thing we need is rivalries keeping this from progressing” Everyone in the room eyed each other as if anyone actually cared about the divides between the Equestrian Ground Troops or Royal Marines. 


“Shining Armor!”
“Wha? Sorry sir!” he said standing up. While Armor technically outranked him, Sentry was still the assigning officer.
“Where’s your partner?”
“Hasn’t arrived, sir”
“Any idea where he is?”
“No Sir.”
“Dammit, Armor this is why you don’t chose the same assist every-” 

Just then, a familiar voice came out of the hallway.
“WAAAAIT!” Soarin burst through the door and a wave of relief came over Shining. Flash turned towards the huffing Pegasus. 
“How kind of you to join us Airpony, did you enjoy your walk through the garden?”
“Sorry sir” Soarin said between breaths of air. “I was caught up at the front desk”
“Blame the desk, great excuse.” Flash turned back to Armor “looks like you get to tag along after all.” All the standing parties sat back down. Armor begun to whisper.
“Soarin where were you?”
“I told you, I got held up at the desk”
“Seriously? You’re still going with that?”
“Alright, I had my hoof stuck in the candy machine. Happy?”
“OK if you don’t want to tell me, fine. Just try and show up earlier next time.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I really am. I swear I’ll make it up to you. I officially owe you a favor.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Armor; it’s what friends do.”
The word “friends” stuck to Armor’s mind like a dagger sticks to a heart, but in the end he was just glad that Soarin showed up. 
“Now if Armor and Late Lucy are done with the kitten whispers, there’s a plane waiting for us” hushed laughter filled the room as Sentry passed out manila folders with each group’s mission. The idle chatter continued as the group made its way onto the airfield, at least one hungry pony was happy to see that the snack machine by the main gate had been smashed open.