"Right now," Lyn said, starting to pace, "the Empire is at its lowest sphinx population in three centuries, and that's counting all of Giovanni Goldfeather's surviving daughters. The Empire has twelve provinces, but four of them were demoted from provincial status by a ruling of the Council of Lords one hundred and thirty seven years ago, and turned into lordless vassal states managed by small councils of griffons and ponies who answer to the Empire as a whole. Grondus, Gleam, Falana and Barrows... They're so marginalized within the Empire that many ignore them or pretend they're not a part of it. But that's because of the holy weight the citizens place on sphinxes, thanks to Garsheeva."
She turned, walking back across the room. "Now, that balance of power is shifting again. Grandbell has been without an empress for years, and everyone is discovering Izvaldi has been, too. Gyre's lord is freshly murdered, and Stormhoof and Everlaste nearly had their families wiped out as well, thanks to someone's stupid plans. Wilderwind, Goldoa and Goldfeather are the only three provinces that haven't been shaken lately, and of them, Goldfeather are the only ones we can count on as a bastion of imperial unity."
Gazelle slumped in his wheelchair, tail flicking. "There was a reason I never went after Goldfeather. Their lord has a reputation to rid his province of and is generally a fine fellow, more or less. He knows how to solve his own problems."
"This could turn around partly," Lyn continued. "I will be of age to become empress in the coming years. My brother is taking over Izvaldi, and may be turning a new leaf. All of the surviving houses do have adult children, thanks again to Giovanni Goldfeather."
"And we could probably wrangle that foal in my wily ex-adjutant's belly into becoming the new Lord Gyre, if it's a he," Gazelle mused. "It's actually a Stormhoof, but I made enough of a fuss... but that's a big if, and still far in the future."
Lyn nodded. "Houses are usually replenished by the Empress's colts." She glanced down at herself. "But I won't even be having children for many years still. In short, the role of sphinxes in the Empire is vulnerable. There have been times this happened in the past. History books note Garsheeva blessing us with numbers after every period of waning, but they don't say how. Her influence has always kept us in power. But if we are on the decline at the same time as she is weakened, and now this power crisis..."
Valey furrowed her brow, speaking for the first time since Lyn began. "So sphinxes could be driven completely out of business? I mean... not to be a jerk, but you guys haven't exactly done the best job running the place. I like you, but isn't it a little egotistical to call this a tragedy?"
Lyn shook her head. "It's not us we're worried about. Garsheeva is a goddess. I have seen her face to face many times in the last month, and her power is returning, not waning. She may not have the size and presence to reveal herself to the entire world anymore, as the saying goes. But I fear for what she could accomplish in retribution if the continent turned its back on her. Are you familiar with the single-day crusade, the war where Garsheeva decimated Gyre's armies after they disobeyed her commandments and invaded Mistvale? Garsheeva lets us rule the Empire however we please, but there are limits."
"That, and the church of Yakyakistan has been getting thirsty," Gazelle added. "They've been making private overtures to us ever since that business in Ironridge. Whatever they're hoping to accomplish, they've been smelling blood for a while now."
Lyn nodded sadly. "Our regional rivals, in this northern half of the world." She looked up at the gray sky, the sun still far enough overhead to illuminate through the clouds down into the city. "This has been no laughing matter for a long time."
"And I only recently sunk my mind into that," Gazelle apologized.
Valey raised an eyebrow. "So let me get this straight, prince dude. Did me and Starlight actually get through to you with that clobbering? Like, I was trying to, but you're really dense."
Gazelle curled his lip. "I'm painfully aware, and yes, I'm more lucid than I have been. Don't let your expectations run away from you, though. You know how dangerous I can be..."
"Cool." Valey stared at him evenly. "I also heard a thing about you laughing at the lords about manipulating me at Stormhoof."
Gazelle sighed in exasperation. "Don't tell me you don't appreciate it. I could have pinned all that on you in a gambit to stave off my own reputation's demise, and I didn't. I expect a mouth-written letter of thanks and a kiss on the back of my paw, and we'll call it even."
Valey stared at him.
"What? Can't even take a favor these days?" Gazelle growled, shaking his head. "I bailed you out! You, Meltdown, Felicity and all her sisters... Don't make me be more direct. Apologies taste terrible. I hate being wrong. You're welcome, and since you're in cahoots with little Lyn here, the best way to thank me is staying that way. I might be far from trustworthy, but she's our empire's only hope."
"You could at least thank him," Lyn murmured. "You got through to him about how badly he was breaking his promise to me. He was always trying his hardest, but it's in a better direction, now."
"Uhh..." Valey folded her ears. "No strings attached? Bananas, if so, thanks."
"I just told you," Gazelle sighed, "the strings are that you help my sister. Competent help might be just what we need."
Valey glanced at the filly. "Really? You got something in mind you want me to do about this?" She swept a hoof at the darkened room and the city beyond, countless motes glowing along the walls where unicorns used hornlight, bathing the pit in a dim, colorful glow. "No offense, but... what?"
"Meltdown promises Gazelle the problem is real," Lyn whispered. "But... she won't tell him what it is."
Valey held her head in thought. "And how trustworthy is she? Just saying, if there's a chance a power crisis could purge sphinxes from authority around here, she's both pretty high up on the food chain and not a sphinx. What if you guys got ran out by an angry mob, and then she brought the power back and claimed she fixed something you had been blocking from her? Save her own image, prey off yours..."
Lyn shook her head. "Not possible. Even if Garsheeva left peacefully, the Empire's power comes from her. There would be no power for Meltdown to turn back on if Garsheeva wasn't here. But I think it's more likely Garsheeva would hold her position by force. There could be a lot of casualties, and Meltdown isn't a hateful pony. The only creatures I've ever seen her despise were heretics."
Valey bit her lip. "I hate to tell you guys this, and have no idea if I'm spilling a titanic imperial secret, but, uhh..." She glanced at the two guards who were stoically standing watch. "Those guys are trustworthy?"
"Absolutely," Lyn promised. "They are our highest ranks and have taken many binding oaths."
Valey hesitated, then took a breath. "Your power doesn't come from Garsheeva. That big crystal thing in her temple? We call it a crystal palace. There's one in Ironridge, too, and we think Yakyakistan has one and then there are a bunch more in Equestria. It's got this tree inside, with a magic flame that's incredibly powerful and is linked to stuff I never really paid attention to about the yaks' harmony stuff. Our airship has a generator that uses that stuff for power. And I'm one hundred percent sure Garsheeva's got some magic something down in there that's using that flame for energy. Her leaving probably wouldn't change your power situation a bit."
Gazelle and Lyn stared at each other with a look that didn't fill Valey with confidence. Even their guards looked disturbed.
"Meltdown and I..." Gazelle cleared his throat. "Are... close. If you know what I mean. She trusts me with her greatest weaknesses. As conniving as we are, she wouldn't do that to me."
"Okay, so you're friends." Valey nodded. "Maybe she'd just hide you away from whatever uprising you were causing. And maybe you were insane and didn't realize you were wrecking the Empire's political stability, but if she was planning this stuff with you, she must have seen it. I'd say you've got your villain nice and easy."
Lyn frowned uncomfortably, sitting and fidgeting. "Would Garsheeva really allow her to do that? It's her temple. She would have to know..."
"Oh, most likely." Gazelle waved a bandaged paw. "Garsheeva has been our confidante throughout that whole swashbuckling crusade. If we were approaching a line, she would let us know. She gives us remarkable leeway to do with the continent as we choose. Yet she's very insistent about things that are sometimes inconsequential. Like a heresy for building power generators? Who cares? Unless she's up to something too. The mind of our goddess is a complete mystery..."
Valey's pupils shrank. "...Bananas, I have no idea if there's something you want me to extrapolate from all that, but it could go in all sorts of uncomfortable directions. Seriously, though, you said you wanted my help? What exactly do you expect me to do? Fight past all the guards, break into the temple's core, figure out what's going on and kick some bad guy butt?" She blanched, then narrowed her eyes. "I mean, I'm flattered, but I'm really not feeling up to that. Especially not after you just made me clean up Stormhoof. Getting on the bad side of a goddess doesn't sound like my idea of a good time."
"Well," Lyn said, weighing her words carefully. "There's a chance you wouldn't have to break in..."