You could hear a pin drop. Even a day pony could hear a pin drop.
Chrysalis glared at Cadance and Shining Armor. Cadance and Shining Armor glared at Chrysalis.
Midnight looked frustrated.
"Break time," I said with a sigh and took off my silver circlet to rub my aching head with a hoof, "Everypony to your corners."
This time nopony argued. Chrysalis just got up and stalked out.
Was not trading insults and just silently glaring an improvement? At least then they had been talking.
Cadance slowly got up and spared me a portion of her glares, "This will never work with that monster," she said before she swept out the other side of the room, Shining Armor following behind.
I put my circlet on the table, my hoof drifting to the two feathers in my mane before I let my head drop to the table.
We were running out of time.
Okay, new plan.
"Midnight, can you put a dome over the castle to keep everypony out? Because this will take more time than we have."
Midnight moved across the table from me, "I could, but not as well as Shining. But I'm not sure this will work."
"...Okay, new tactic," I said and looked at her, "You talk to them. I'll talk to Chrysalis."
Midnight frowned slightly before letting her breath out in a small sigh and nodded, "I'll try, Page... but I'm not as comfortable around changelings as you are. I know they can behave, but... they still feed on ponies."
"Right now all we need is behaving," I said and stood up, putting my circlet back onto my head and turned to head out the door Chrysalis had left from.
I let the door close behind me and Chrysalis turned to look at me when I got closer,
"What d-"
"You should leave," I said, interrupting her.
That got her full attention, "What?" she asked, turning fully towards me, "What do you mean, pony?"
"Because we have like an hour until the Solar Guard arrives," I said, "And then it's too late. We're not getting anywhere here and she's too stubborn and you're too dumb to bend so you should just take the hive and leave."
She hissed at me, her wings doing a buzzing sound, "You think yu-"
I stepped up, put my hoof against her chest and thought of Luna. Sparks. Sunny.
Sunshine.
Chrysalis stopped talking, her eyes drifting half closed and I could feel my hoof growing slightly cold as the energy left me. I pulled my hoof back and looked up at her, "I assumed you would be as brilliant as your counterpart in my world. Maybe I was wrong."
Chrysalis' eyes opened again and for a split second before her usual look of superiority returned she looked tired. Exhausted even, "What do you want from me?" she asked quietly.
"Do what your kind always does," I told her quietly, "Adapt. Blend in. Do whatever it takes to make sure the hive survives. And right now the best bet is to cooperate with the ponies to whatever degree can be accepted."
She hissed and took a step back, pacing a couple of steps back and forth before she turned to me again, "If you had not called in the Solar Guard, it wouldn't be a problem!"
"Like you, I have to look after my hive."
She bared her fangs for a second with a small hiss before she looked aside. Then she turned back to me, "This is your plan!" she said, baring her fangs, stepping forward, "To trap us here until the guards catch us! I will no-"
I stepped forward, looking into her eyes until my nose almost touched hers, "You can taste what I'm feeling. Is there any deception?"
Chrysalis growled and stepped back, "...No."
"Then be the brilliant Queen I know you can be," I told her, "Do what your hive requires. Work with the ponies."
"You," Chrysalis said slowly, "Are infuriating."
"Oh, I know," I agreed with a small smile, "But I'm also the closest you and your hive has to somepony on your side here. So what will it be? Time ticks away."
Chrysalis closed her eyes, her wings stilling for a second, "...I could still win. Defeat everypony here, capture you all and use you as leverage against the Princess of Fire."
"And then what?" I asked as I looked up at her.
She was quiet for a long moment before she walked past me towards the door. I moved to follow and returned to my seat at the table as Chrysalis settled down as well.
Didn't take long, maybe thirty seconds before Midnight, Cadance and Shining Armor returned as well.
Midnight looked annoyed while Cadance looked sullen. Shining Armor looked pissed but didn't say anything or look at anypony.
They got seated.
Silence dragged out before Chrysalis spoke up at last, "If my death would secure the safety of my hive, it is yours, Princess of Food."
Cadance looked horrified.
I facehooved.
Stupid dramatic bug.