//------------------------------//
// The Wager 
// Story: The King Is Dead, Long Live The Emperor! 
// by Bucking Nonsense 
//------------------------------//

"I've got marshmallows!"
Startled, Pan's head whipped around to see who was speaking.  He knew that voice, it was one he had heard in his nightmares, over and over again.  Not just the voice itself, but that tone, as if everything in the world was a joke, and the speaker was the only one who got it.  The one being in the world that the changeling hated more than any other...
Winter.
Pan was shocked to find that, instead of the massive, hulking figure that he'd seen years ago (or from now.  Stupid time travel tenses made Pan's head hurt), this time, the embodiment of hatred was now more... compact.  While certainly larger and more muscular than any pony in the room, he wasn't quite as monstrous as before.  Somehow, that only made him all the more imposing....
Seeming to notice the surprise on the faces of Pan and everypony else, the father of all windigoes chuckled and said, "Do you like the new look?  I have to admit, I was worried that you might not recognize me, but I suspect that a sixty-hoof-tall windigo suddenly entering the city would cause a panic, so I thought that something a bit more subtle would be called for.  This discussion will go a little easier if we're able to speak face to face without you having to calm down a city full of panicked ponies at the same time."  Looking at Sombra's mirror, the immortal added, "Of course, it was tricky, arranging all of this while Mister 'Crystal Slaves' was watching, but it is amazing what I can do with all the power I now have at my disposal.  I can even be in two places at once!"  For a moment, the windigo split into two ponies, then reformed back into one.  "But enough of that.  I came here to talk, not fight, so let us keep things civil, hmmm?"
Celestia, who had been preparing a spell, stopped herself.  It seemed she realized that, if a fight broke out here, there'd be too many casualties.  Luna was weakened, Celestia was weary, and the room was filled with civilians.  It would get very ugly if a fight broke out...
Regardless, it took everything that Pan had to keep himself from whipping out the Converter and using it on the abomination before him... and he wasn't alone.  It was clear that Luna and Celestia were equally furious about Winter's presence.
Shimmering Radiance, clearly confused, asked, "Who are you?"
"Oh, where are my manners!"  The windigo put on an expression of feigned horror, and said, "A thousand pardons.  I just assumed that everypony here would immediately recognize me.  Allow me to introduce myself: I am Winter, father of all windigoes.  Pleased to meet you, you are much more adorable up close."
Pointing at the burning mansion in the distance, Celestia asked, her voice filled with anger, "Was that your doing?"
Clucking his tongue and shaking his head sadly, Winter said, "Tut, tut, do I look like the kind of pony who plays with fire?  No, that wasn't me, that was my new ladyfriend.  She's a bit more... mercurial than I am at the best of times, and when she found her new host, well, that host had some very definite ideas about what should be done to the nobles of Equestria."  His expression brightening, he added, "Ah, but I come bearing good news!  I have, coming here at this very moment, somepony who will bring you a veritable bonanza of information that you can use in your little war against the Circle... and since he is under my protection, he'll be certain to get here in spite of all the obstacles being thrown into his path, but only so long as you listen to what I have to say."
Swallowing his anger, and his pride, Pan nodded and said, "I'm listening."
Chuckling, Winter began inspecting the bottom of one hoof, as if only half-interested in the ponies before him, as he said, "As I mentioned, my new lady friend has some very definite ideas towards the nobility, especially this... Circle.  That's primarily due to her current hostess, but I have to admit, I'm not a fan of them myself: I do what I do because it's what I am, but they are ponies, and have no right to behave in this manner.  Now me, I like this city, and I like you, Your Imperial Bugginess.  You've become the most entertaining thing I've seen in ages, and I'd hate to see you go."  With a shrug, he added, "My ladyfriend, not so much.  She wants to burn out this cancer you were talking about, and she currently has more than enough power to do so.  However, I have convinced her to stay her hoof, and give you the opportunity to settle this on your own.  But only on the condition of you getting the job done within a certain timeframe."
Her eyes narrowed and her voice shaking with barely contained disgust, Luna asked, "What's the deadline?"
His voice calm, almost serene, Winter said, "Three sunrises.  Three sunsets.  Three days.  If you have not purged the Circle, root, branch, and leaves, by the end of the third sunset, my ladyfriend will burn them all, and every pony that gets in her way.  And every pony within fifty hooves of those ponies.  And their closest family members and loved ones.  And probably their pets, too: We're still negotiating on that one, since I happen to be fond of cats and dogs."  Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Winter added, "Oh, and I'll also encase this fine city in ice for a thousand years, as punishment for everypony here failing to find this threat on their own and resolve it before now.   And I'll also lock the rest of Equestria in a perpetual blizzard, just for giggles."
Grinding his teeth, Pan asked, "And if we do manage to do it, what do you and your ladyfriend have to offer us?"
Rubbing his chin in thought, Winter said, "Well, you know, I hadn't thought about that.  I guess it would be cruel to threaten you with a stick without offering you a carrot as well.  Here's what I'll offer you: Provided you manage to succeed in defeating the Circle, my ladyfriend and I will not only leave your fine city alone, but we'll also offer you a promise of non-interference in Equestria for, oh, say, the next thousand years."
That would be a tempting offer, Pan had to admit: With Luna currently depowered, and from what Pan had heard, Celestia being barely a match for the dark force before it had found a host, a direct confrontation with Winter and his new 'lady friend' would be suicidal.  Pan almost agreed to the terms, but then a thought occurred to him...
Why not sweeten the pot?
"That does sound tempting," Pan stated, then added, "But certainly not enough: You're threatening wide-scale destruction and imprisonment for the entire city if we lose, and all you're offering is that you'll pack up and leave if we succeed.  Who is taking the bigger risk here?  If it's a wager we're talking about here, you have to offer something of equal value."
With an amused snort, the windigo said, "Equivalent exchange?  Fair enough.  What else would you want?"
A half-smile crossing his features, Pan said, "I was told, not that long ago, that if you are killed, whoever slays you ends up inheriting your powers, and that your mind takes over the body of the 'lucky' recipient.  If we win, that changes: Whoever next kills you gets your powers, and you?  You die for good."
Pan heard the gasps of surprise from Luna and Celestia behind him, as well as the other ponies in the room.  It was, admittedly, an audacious demand to make of an immortal who could have crushed the changeling like, well, like a bug.  Still, Winter's reaction was remarkable: For the first time that Pan could recall, the windigo looked startled.  His eyes widened in shock, and for just a few seconds, his jaw dropped.  Then, with a click, he shut his mouth, and then the windigo began to chuckle merrily.
"Oh, I knew you were going to be fun the moment I saw you, Imperator.  Yes, I think I could live with that.  It should make the next fight I get into much more interesting."  Extending a hoof, the windigo said, "I accept your terms.  If you succeed, not only shall we leave for a thousand years, but I shall accept true death the next time I am defeated in battle.  If you fail, well, it won't go well for your city or anyone in it.  Shake on it?"
Taking Winter's hoof, Pan shook it and said, "Deal.  Now, you said somepony was on his way here with information?"
His expression serious, the windigo said, "Indeed.  He'll have quite a story to tell you when he arrives, although he won't be coming here alone.  Your guards will be spotting him shortly.  In the meantime, I must be off: As pleasant as your city is, being this close to that relic makes me... itchy."  With no more than that, the windigo ran to the balcony, jumped over the railing, and flew off.  A moment later, a fiery shape shot out from the burning mansion and joined him...
Almost immediately afterwards, a guardspony entered the room, obviously out of breath.  "Your eminence," the guard said, still panting, " A small party of citizens has arrived, indicating that they have urgent information for you and the princesses."
With a last look out over the balcony, he said, "Very well.  Bring all of them up."
The guard, looking nervous, said, "Sir, one member of the party has a deathmark brand on his face."  At the emperor's obviously confused expression, the guard explained, "He was found guilty of at least one count of murder and sentenced to execution, but a noble paid to have that sentence suspended, so long as the criminal remained on the noble's estate.  We would have had him executed on sight, but the rest of the party is vouching for him."
That... what the flock was with that?  Who in their right mind would willingly hire a convicted murderer to work on their estate?
Almost immediately, the answer came to Pan: Somepony with a lot to hide, and wanted to make sure that they had at least one pony on the staff who would do whatever they were told, without question.  That would be exactly the kind of servant the Circle would find desirable.  After all, who would believe a convicted murderer over the word of a noble?  More importantly, if it meant death if the marked pony left the estate, then they'd have no way of leaving the noble's service that didn't involve a headspony's block.  Worse, if the criminal was already a convicted murderer, then that meant the noble had a hatchet-stallion available if there was somepony who needed to be killed...
"We'll refrain from performing any summary executions for now," Pan stated, formally.  "Bring the entire group up: I think they might have a lot to tell us..."