There was an exchange of looks between you, Apocrita, and Pharynx as you all processed what Chrysalis just declared. A game with higher stakes? You thought she just wanted to have fun, maybe weaken your resolve with games and snacks, eventually leading you to agreeing to rock her bug world with the wonders of your amazing penis. But now? Now she was talking about something clearly more direct, the malicious look on her face cementing it.
"What did you have in mind?" Pharynx asked, seeing as nobody else was going to dare.
Dragging her hoof slowly toward the edge of the table, Chrysalis answered "We'll play one more game. A simple game, but one that I find to be rather fun. But it's not the game itself that's so much fun, but the prize at the end of it."
"Hookers and blow!" you shout, although by the time the others give you a weird look, you had already realized how weird that sounded. Where would you even find drugs in pony land?
"No... A wish. Three wishes actually," Chrysalis corrected you, not thrown off in the slightest by your outburst.
You have to clasp a hand over your mouth to silence the girlish squeal that almost escapes. When you remove your hand, you ask "You're a genie?"
Chuckling darkly, which should be another sign that this wasn't a good idea, Chrysalis once more answered "No. See, with my magic, I can create a special binding contract between the four of us. Whoever wins can ask any one thing of each of the losers. Three losers, three requests. Obviously, you'd only be able to ask something they are capable of doing."
Pharynx and Apocrita exchanged concerned looks once more, an unspoken conversation going on between the two that seemed to speak on a level that you would not be able to pick up on. It didn't seem to bother Chrysalis at all though, as her gaze was solely fixated on you. Did you have a chip stuck in your tooth? No, you didn't taste jerky. Mmmm, jerky. Oh right! Snacks!
Apocrita gave a hesitant nod to Pharynx before facing her queen. "I'm up for it my queen, but I am curious as to what the game is," she asked, trying to ignore you as you rummaged through the various snacks. So many were disqualified on the grounds that they were made for ponies, like daffodil cakes! Gross mini-horses.
"A simple game, but if you're interested, please, place your hoof in the center of the table," Chrysalis requested, although her even saying please seemed to send more cold chills through the room than if she had just demanded it. The queen herself placed her own holey hoof on the table, looking to her subjects not so much expectantly as she just knew they were going to.
And indeed, Pharynx and Apocrita did as asked, but as Ap did so, she said "I'm fine with this, but I think Anon might want to know the rules of the game before he-"
"Nope, I'm in," you state, having found a chocolate bar and placing it into the center with your hand. "Nut up or shut up, and I'm totally going to use this to make Ap walk around all day with a butt plug."
"Wait, what? Hold on, I'm reconsi-" Apocrita began to protest.
"Too late!" Chrysalis declared, her horn glowing a brighter green than you'd ever seen before, firing into your assembled hoofs and hand. You felt a burning sensation in your hand, forming an emblem that looked like... a winking Chrysalis? Shit, you didn't want that to be your first tattoo. Also, your chocolate melted. Dammit!
"Tsk, dammit Anon! I'm not going to let you win!" Apocrita cursed, glaring at you with almost as much intensity as the pain in your hand right now, a matching emblem on her hoof.
"Oh, you won't be able to focus solely on him. After all, the game I have planned allows no cheating," Chrysalis cooed.
"You can totally cheat in poker," you correct, earning a confused look from the others. "What? I'm not deaf, I heard her muttering about betting and poker face. Maybe listen a little more, you won't have all these divides up in your world. Also, she's your queen, you should be ashamed of yourselves," you chastised the other two.
"A smart guess... but I'm afraid you're wrong," Chrysalis corrected.
Wait, you weren't playing poker? Then how were you going to stuff cards up your sleeves?... wait, how were you going to do that when you had removed your own shirt anyways? Why had nobody mentioned you being shirtless since you took it off!? This was some bullshit.
"So what are we playing?" you asked, doing your best to flex your pecs, only succeeding in pushing your chest out like a college girl trying to get out of a traffic ticket.
"We'll be playing one of the oldest games in all of Equestria. The first game invented by Changelings, and one still used to this day to help teach the young how to do what they were born for," Chrysalis stated, earning a shocked look from the other Changelings at the table.
"You're not seriously talking about Deception, are you?" Apocrita asked, her wings flicking out nervously.
"Well, at least we know Anon won't win," Pharynx followed up, not even sparing you a look at the comment. You'd teach him you could play Deception with the best of them!... whatever the hell Deception was.
"What the hell is Deception?" you asked.
"Simply put, it's a game of lies. We'll each take turns saying something about ourselves, then the rest will have to guess if it's the truth or a lie. For every lie you successfully get past somepony, you earn a point. In a game like this, where four of us are playing, you'll be able to three points if you trick us all, but if only one of us believe your lie, you earn only one point. Furthermore, for every truth you or lie you successfully identify, you earn one point. Of course, we write down the answer on a piece of paper that's flipped over afterwards, just so nopony tries to end up saying a truth is a lie for more points, but since we have the magically binding contract, my magic itself will keep any answers from being lied about" Chrysalis explained, lifting her hoof up to show the emblem glowing slightly. So far, you were understanding the rules, it actually seemed pretty simple.
"So, what's to keep me from just saying everything is a lie?" you ask, seeing a loophole, but knowing that these Changelings were too tricky for that.
Smirking as you identified the potential weakness, Chrysalis said "If you say that something is a lie, but it ends up being true, you're penalized and lose two points and whoever told the truth earns a point."
"Good incentive to keep people from spamming the 'lie' button," you acknowledged, nodding your head approvingly. "Alright, lets do this. It'll be easier than masturbating on your throne when nobody's looking."
Her cool, sly demeanor broke as Chrysalis blinked in surprise, Pharynx and Apocrita equally astonished by the declaration. "You... you've masturbated on my throne?" she asked, clearly interested at the idea, but also upset that you'd do such a thing.
"Of course not," you answer, the looks of surprise falling, but quickly followed by confusion. "Ap's always watching me, and while I could care less if she watched me masturbate, she'd try to stop me. I said it was easier than masturbating on your throne, which is really hard to do, so I'm still right," you explained.
While you grinned stupidly at them, Chrysalis' confidence seemed to melt away. It seemed like, all at once, she came to remember that while you weren't a Changeling, a creature born and bred for deceiving ponies, you were something else entirely. You were a creature of the unknown, whose view on even the simplest manner was distorted, twisted in such a violent way that lies instead became perverse truths... and even worse, she had just locked the car doors and put you in the driver's seat. She, along with Pharynx and Apocrita, were in for a wild ride.
"Right... well, we'll keep this simple," Chrysalis declared, running her forked tongue over one fang to hone her edge once more. "Three rounds. We each take a turn. Whoever has the most points at the end will be the winner. We'll start with Apocrita, then Pharynx, then me, and finally Anon. We'll begin whenever you're ready, Apocrita."
"Great," Ap mumbled, taking in a deep breath. She pondered the different truths or lies she could throw out there, to best throw everyone off. "I hate Anon."
"True," Pharynx answered quickly, the speed he stated it with hurting you internally. You'd use your command to hurt him emotionally and physically for that.
"True," Chrysalis stated, smiling with the knowledge.
"Lies!" you cry out, pointing a finger at her angrily. "Bitch, you love me and you know it!"
"... somehow, despite how much he pisses me off... no, I don't hate Anon. That was a lie," Apocrita acknowledged, earning herself two points and you one. Pharynx seemed only mildly irritated, Chrysalis seemed more... angry, and you... well, you were giving a cheeky grin that was probably making Apocrita hate you.
"I thought you had better judgment than that," Pharynx snorted, shaking his head. "I've never liked someone so incompetent before."
"That's a lie," Chrysalis quickly stated, surprising Pharynx at the fact she thought he had started.
"Wait, that wasn't-"
"Total lie," you agreed.
"Yeah, we know about Thorax, it's a lie," Apocrita concluded the judgement.
"I... whatever, fine, I guess it was a lie," Pharynx sighed, the idea of winning already leaving his mind.
"Do be careful what you say. I do play to win," Chrysalis chided Pharynx, making it clear that if someone slipped up, she would pounce like the predatory bug she was. Preying mantis, eat your heart out... and maybe your mate's head. Damn, now that you thought about it, would Chrysalis do that to you? Shit, you might need to redouble your efforts on letting her fuck you some day.
"Of course, we're all playing to win. Who plays to lose? Just losers!... wait, but does that mean they win? Shit, this is getting trippy," you ponder, rubbing your head. Now was not a time to be freaking yourself out.
Stroking her chin with a hoof, Chrysalis considered your words. "I feel like that happens often with you, my dear Anon... but now is not the time. No, now is the time for me to win. I've... had sex in all my holes. Every. Last. One."
You grunted as you felt your pants get way tighter, pulling closer to the table to cover yourself up, while Pharynx and Apocrita just went slack jaw. Chryalis seemed to smirk only more confidently, her eyes fluttering a bit at you as she pushed out her chest.
"Um... true?" you ask more than state.
"I... true," Apocrita meekly said.
"I'm hoping false," Pharynx muttered.
"Mmm, so sorry Pharynx, but you seem to be the only one not getting a point this round," Chrysalis purred.
"I really do hope you cleaned them afterwards. You've touched me with those hooves a lot," you acknowledged.
"Oh, don't worry, I haven't had fun with anypony else since I met you," Chrysalis assured you, licking her lips. This was taking a turn you hadn't expected.
Thinking of the only way to change this, you quickly took your turn. "I named my penis Vlad the Impaler."
"You... seriously Anon? You already told us you named it Ego. Lie," Apocrita scoffed, surprised at how stupid you were.
"I'm... concerned that this is apparently a thing. I'll follow Apocrita's lead and say it's a lie," Pharynx agreed.
"And here I thought you were taking this seriously Anon, it's a lie," Chrysalis stated.
You looked around the table before casting your eyes down in seeming defeat... only to look up and shout at them, flipping them all off. "Haha! Fuck you! I did name my dick Vlad the Impaler!"
"What!?" Chrysalis shouted, shocked by the fact you apparently beat her.
"You're messed up Anon!" Apocrita yelled, scooting her seat away from you.
"I'm... also surprised," Pharynx muttered, not sure what to make of this.
"You fools believed that a penis can have only one name! My dick's like a celebrity! Like Eminem also being Slim Shady!" you declare, soon after laughing like a fool as you relished the fact you were leading with six points, while Apocrita followed up with four, then Chrysalis with two, and Pharynx with zero... oh wait, that was negative two.
"This feels less like a game of lies and more like an acknowledgment of terrible truths," Apocrita grumbled, holding her head in her hooves.
"Be that as it may, it's your turn again," Chrysalis stated, but she phrased it like a command.
"Of course it is... fine then. I've... um... I've had sex with stallions... and mares," the elite guard posed. This one had curious looks from everyone.
"I want to say lie... but I've been wrong so far, so true," Pharynx answered.
Purring, Chrysalis gave Apocrita a knowing smile. "Oh, that's not something a good little guard would lie about. True."
"Ap... I'm so proud of you! I didn't know you were bisexual!" you cheered, basically stating you thought it was true.
Sighing, Apocrita tried to bury her face in her hooves again. "Why is it so easy for you guys to believe that as true?... it is though... but only because I had to do it undercover!" she quickly shouted.
Pulling her closer, you gave her a pat on the head. "There, there, it's okay. We don't need to know the details... now. That can come later, when I can take my pants off and masturbate to the whole story," you try to comfort her, although something about it seems to make her sob more. They had to be tears of joy, you were sure of it.
Looking between the two of you, Pharynx asked "Should we... continue?"
"The contract is binding. We can't end it prematurely," Chrysalis explained, her eyes narrowed as you rubbed Ap's head. She was certainly on an emotional roller coaster.
"Let's just get this over with then, I'm learning more about everypony than I ever wanted to," Pharynx admitted his aversion to the unnecessarily personal information. "I once killed another Changeling for picking on my brother."
"My, Pharynx, I knew you were a cold elite, but murder?... I like it. I do hope it's true," Chrysalis complimented the guard.
"I get the feeling that's not a punishable offense here. True," you chirp up.
"I know, I saw you bury the body. True," Apocrita declared.
"... I stand no chance at this game... I'm really questioning my position as an elite now," Pharynx stated, the feeling of a mid-life crisis practically rolling off of him in waves. It was sad, you wished he'd shut up. Thankfully, Chrysalis took the lead.
"Now then, let me show you how it's done," Chrysalis said, clearing her throat for a moment. Shooting you yet another look, almost scorching hot with lustful intentions, she said "I've never been submissive during sex."
You had to stop patting Apocrita's head at that point, now stroking your chin in thought. "Interesting. As queen, and one as violent as you, I have total reason to believe you're telling the truth... but my perverse senses tell me that's a lie. That deep down, you occasionally enjoy a rough fucking where you give up control. My guess is that the thrill of not being in charge for once is the sort of thing that drives you wild, an unknown territory that addresses parts of you that can't ever be touched elsewhere. I'll say you're lying."
"I don't like the idea of admitting this, but... Anon hasn't been wrong yet. I'm guessing it's a lie," Apocrita stated, although her eyes were on you, clearly thrown off by the oddly in depth explanation you gave about the sexual nature of her queen.
"... a lie," Pharynx repeated, finding it easier to just follow along.
Clicking her tongue, Chrysalis looked at her Changelings with some irritation. "You know, it's not fun if you're just going to piggyback off of others," she growled at them. When she turned her attention to you though, she added "You on the other hoof... have an insight to me that makes me shudder when I think about what you'd do if you truly got into me."
"Probably terrible, terrible things that would make you regret ever meeting with Vlad," you answer with a shrug. "But now it's my turn! Hm... Ah, I got it. I almost got a blowjob from Luna once."
An amused snort from Apocrita drew a frown from you. "Seriously Anon? You couldn't think of a better lie?" Apocrita laughed, waving a hoof dismissively at you. "It's a total lie."
That. Bitch. You were so going to get her after this. The Impaler will rise to the challenge!
"As far as I'm concerned, nopony's ever touched one of the princesses sexually. Ever. It's a lie," Pharynx answered.
Yet again, Chrysalis had an icy glare, perhaps at her most deeply hateful you'd seen her the entire night... which also meant ever. "I have tried, for twice as long as those bitches in Canterlot, to get you to do anything with me. I refuse to believe that almost let that starry-maned cunt anywhere near your dick," Chrysalis stated with such venom that you were hoping that Chitin wasn't too far away to administer an antivenom.
You should have been hesitant to answer, but you had to grin as they fell into your trap. "Wrong! Luna was totally going to slob on my knob like it was corn on the cob! This round goes to Anon!"
At this point, you pretty much had the game won, leading with an astounding twelve points, Apocrita and Chrysalis still at four and two respectively, and Pharynx still at negative two as well. Your truth undid any progress the rest of them had made this round. The only way you'd lose was if they all told truths that you believed to be lies and Apocrita dominated the round. Still, everyone knew the game couldn't end until you played it all the way through, Chrysalis had made that clear.
Looking around the table, now pretty much tired of the game as it was and just wanting it to be over, Apocrita gave out a sigh. "Final round, let me not embarrass myself," she muttered, drawing something on the table with one hoof. "I hate the nickname 'Ap' that Anon gave me."
"That one has to be true," Pharynx answered, casting a look at you that said he didn't believe anyone could like something you issued.
Chrysalis also looked at you for a moment, before refocusing on Apocrita. "I'm saying it's a lie. Perhaps at first she hated it, but I get the feeling it's grown on her."
"Of course she loves it, I gave it! That's a total lie," you proudly declare, leaning in toward Apocrita and nudging her with an elbow.
The elite guard seemed to struggle with her words, like she was trying to lie, but couldn't because of the magic of the contract. "It's... a lie," she admitted, letting her head just fall forward so her snout pressed against the table.
"You're really disappointing me as an elite guard right now," Pharynx grunted, shaking his head.
"True," Chrysalis quickly stated, once more taking advantage of Pharynx casual statement to launch an answer.
"True," you repeated.
"Twue," Apocrita mumbled from her position.
"... yeah, sure, that's true," Pharynx acknowledged, knowing he couldn't win and just tired of spending the night with you all at this point.
Giving a coy look, Chrysalis looked to you as she seemed to before the start of every round. "Seeing as Anon has this won regardless of what he or I do the rest of the round, I may as well have some fun with this," she stated, a plot unfolding behind those green eyes. "If Anon were to simply submit to my desires... and not prove inadequate in the bedroom, or wherever else we might decide to breed, I would be absolutely willing to declare him my mate and King of the Changelings."
"Please be true, please be true, please be true," you immediately start whispering, fingers crossed. You weren't sure how much longer you were going to hold out in this hive, and if the princesses didn't act quickly, you were likely going to end up fucking Chrysalis in every hole and position you could think of. Considering how many holes she had and positions you'd seen, that was a lot of fucking.
"Please be a lie, please be a lie, please be a lie," Apocrita groaned out, not wanting the thought of you and her queen in her mind any longer.
"For the sake of the hive, I'm praying that's a lie," Pharynx answered, his face actually going a bit pale at the thought.
Clicking her tongue as though she was disappointed, but the sultry smirk still on her face, Chyrsalis replied "Oh dang. I was so hoping to trick you all. At least I got two points, because that was the truth." As you cheered and the Changelings lamented this disturbing knowledge, Chrysalis leaned in close to you, dipping her forked tongue into your ear, tickling it, and whispered "I do hope you'll remember that because of the magic, I can't lie about my answer."
You opened your mouth to mention how hard your dick was at the moment, but remembered that could be taken as your statement for the round. Given you also didn't care. You'd won it, flawless victory bitches! Also, why would you care if anyone knew your dick was hard? Hell, you'd want them to know.
Before you could make that your last statement, Chrysalis spoke up again. "Tis a shame the game is coming to an end. You apparently have such a way with manipulating your words and quite some secrets. After all, you'd been with the princesses for only a week, and yet you apparently got that moon-assed slut ready to give you a blowjob." Chrysalis paused, then turned her eyes toward Apocrita, something of a sneer forming. "Unless Apocrita has been failing me and somehow let one of my greatest enemies past her to see you."
Gulping, Apocrita looked up at Chrysalis in fear and stammered to answer, but finding her words were failing her. This wasn't good. You actually liked Apocrita, and her she was, about to get her head bitten off by her queen... probably literally. You didn't want that at all.
"Of course not, I've only seen Changelings since the negotiations," you covered for your guard, patting her on the back to comfort her.
Regaining some of her confidence from the kindly gesture, Apocrita nodded. "I swear to you my queen, I have not allowed anypony to see Anon unless you wished it."
"Hm... I'll take that your answer is 'true' then. Pharynx, your answer?" Chrysalis asked, not bothering to look at her other elite.
Wait, what? Was she using your statement as your answer? That was so cheap! She totally manipulated you into saying that!.. oh... oh fuck nuts. The magic of the contract.
"I have to believe it's the truth, my scouts have seen nopony come near the hive outside of Strong Words and his guards," Pharynx agreed, although he seemed interested in where this was going as now.
Nodding in agreement, Chrysalis said "I do believe my guards when they say that they would not allow anypony near my dear Anon or seen anypony in the area... but I do believe that Anon is still lying to us."
All eyes fell on you, waiting for the answer. Your jaw clenched for a moment, trying to think of some way out of this... but you couldn't. Unless you could reason that you didn't actually see Luna because it was in a dream, but then your blowjob statement earlier would have been a lie.
"Well it's clearly tr-... It's tr-... TR-. TRRRRRRRRRRRRR-RAGH!" you try to lie, ending with your hands slamming down on the table.
Shaking her head, Chrysalis said "Just admit it was a lie, the magic can't be overcome."
"... it was a lie," you admit, hanging your head in defeat.
Pharynx and Apocrita exchanged a glance, then looking to Chrysalis, clearly afraid of whatever reaction she might have for such terrible news. How utterly violent she might become at the idea that you were in contact with the princesses, despite how securely she had been holding you.
Yet, all the queen seemed to do was smirk, as though she had won the game. "Well played, Anon. You've won the whole thing," she congratulated you, reaching out to stroke your shoulder. "And I think we all learn some interesting things about one another. We really must do this again some time," she added, her fangs perfectly displayed as she rose from her seat. "But for now, I have grown tired, and will retire for the evening."
Watching her leave the table, her hips swaying in a way that was really drawing your attention to her flank, you suddenly remembered. "Wait, what about my prize?"
Looking over her shoulder at you, a sultry stare smoldering in her eyes, she answered "Use them whenever you so wish, they won't be going anywhere. But after your victory, I'm sure you'll want some time to consider what it is you really want."
That was true. At this point, you really had no idea what you wanted from any of them. Plus, after that psychological fake out she gave you, manipulating you into admitting a secret you had no intention of even playing around with, you weren't sure of anything... except that Chrysalis' ass really did look good right now.