//------------------------------// // The City of Living Shadows // Story: Imperial Affairs // by The Sound of Loneliness //------------------------------// Cloudy Dawn stepped out of the door to her private office, the night was lovely today. Cloudy then proceeded to lock the door, the lock squeaked as the latch got into place. Cloudy then took a deep breath of cool, night air; so sweet after spending almost the entire night at her desk. Cloudy was quickly growing to hate her job. Her past work at the bat -or thestral, as they themselves prefered to be called- rights campaign ensured a post for her, but the other thing it ensured was that she herself now hardly had any time to enjoy the marvels of the night they all struggled to show the others. Not mentioning her new line of work and authority. Cloudy was a journalist, her calling was to keep everypony informed, not hiding everything her Empress didn’t want to see in evening papers. Cloudy, after taking another deep breath, started her way up the street. Canterlot was such a dreamy and quiet place at night. The rebuilt city was carefully restored to its historical past and was banned to enter for cars to preserve the city’s ancient streetlife. After taking a turn over the corner of her office, Cloudy was now passing one thing that had drawn her to make this exact place her office in the first place: the Sunlit Plaza. This place, unlike the rest of the city, wasn’t rebuilt after the war; it didn’t need rebuilding. The Plaza and its statue miraculously avoided any shelling during the siege. Even Nightmare Moon didn’t lift a hoof to desecrate it, not even the Celestia statue. Cloudy never asked why her Empress didn’t demolish this last image of her bitter enemy left in the city, maybe she wanted to leave a reminder of her victory, or maybe she simply wanted to gloat. Truth be told, Cloudy didn’t care. She loved that statue, there was something in that proud, stone, figure that calmed her, helped her to focus. It was like the now gone Princess still continued to support Cloudy down from her prison. Cloudy passed another corner and walked right to the main street. It was empty there too; bat ponies, despite now having the opportunity, didn’t move to the city in mass. Cloudy continued to walk down the street for some time marvelling at the rebuilt city. “Ugh!” Cloudy noticed there was some obstacle in her way and turned her head right on time to meet it with her snout. Cloudy then disgracefully fell down on her bottom, but she was too busy holding her hurt snout to care of grace. “Oh, I am so sorry, my dear! I didn’t see you there, I get so absent-minded sometimes. What an embarrassment! Let me help you back up.” Cloudy looked up at the mare, who just bumped into her. She wore the purple uniform, signifying her as one of the royal staff. The voice was awfully familiar too. “Hi, Rarity,” Cloudy said, accepting her hooves. Cloudy smiled at her good friend: “You never change.” Rarity smiled back in a mute apology. ”It’s so good to finally see you again!” Cloudy seized the opportunity to pull Rarity into a friendly hug. “You do not even imagine, Cloudy! Oh, goodness! I do not even remember when was the last time we two went out together! I urgently need a break!-” Rarity wistfully smiled “-How about the next weak’s reopening of the royal gallery?” “Eh, Rarity, I think you are forgetting something.” Rarity blinked and startled at Cloudy, “The Old Hag doesn’t give you any breaks. You are with her every night, all night.” Rarity’s enthusiasm dissipated in an instant. “Oh, do not be silly, Cloudy! Of course she gives me breaks! It’s just that I have so much to do now with the boutiques and the palace. Sassy helps with the boutique here, but everywhere else I need to be in person. Besides, you are being too harsh on her, Cloudy. She isn’t a despot you say she is. We may have celebrated her exile to the moon, but it was a thousand years ago! She's stiff and unforgiving, but I promise, she's different now than she was. Give her a chance, Cloudy.” Rarity defending Nightmare Moon, of all people, set Cloudy off. “I reckon your sales skyrocketed after everyone knew about your new and wonderful boss,” Cloudy bitterly reminded. Rarity looked away, her ears dropping by each side of her head and eyes getting unusual gleam. “Sorry, Rarity. I didn’t mean to.” “Oh, Cloudy. Don't apologise for the truth.” She wiped her eyes, "Sweet Celestia, I wanted nothing of this, neither did Luna, I swear to you! It just went down the spiral from the moment the thestral supporters were attacked!" Rarity paused to blow her nose into a handkerchief appearing from her bag, "But I can't leave her alone in this, Cloudy. I just can't!" Rarity, seeing an increasingly worried expression from her old friend, gave Cloudy a week smile and offered her another hug: “Friends?” “Friends.” Cloudy happily accepted. “You mind telling me what are you up to in here?” Cloudy asked, mostly to jump off the touchy subject. “Actually, it’s about you, Cloudy.” Rarity pulled away from Cloudy and started searching the ground around her. “Agh, where did I drop it?” “Drop what?” Cloudy asked, joining the search. “The letter, she sent you a letter. Ah! There!” Rarity victoriously levitated a paper and a broken envelope to Cloudy. “You are reading the imperial correspondence again, Rarity?” Cloudy teased. “That can get you in a lot of trouble, you know.” Rarity blushed. “I swear, I only read the first sentence and most of the letter is encrypted regardless!” Cloudy blew a full sigh. “I bet it’s some new and exciting censorship regulations, or something.” Cloudy took the letter and read the unencrypted part aloud: "My Minister of Communication. I write to inform you of my deepest regrets for your unacceptably high workload in recent months. As you are aware, I take care of my most loyal subjects. Know that I have taken it upon myself to improve the quality of the working environment for all public servants. Over your case, Minister, I took personal oversight. Within the next week, you will be receiving a personal assistant to reduce your paperwork, I believe you two don't require any introductions; also, find attached a new set of policies for your institution, which would lessen the stress for both the ministry and the private media. Work productively, Minister." Both mares looked at each other in confusion.