And there it was. Or, to be precise, there it wasn't. The alicorn looked over the statue, which anyone familiar with would have noticed was missing one of its key figures. Chrysalis was gone, and only Cozy Glow and Tirek were left. She'd suspected it, but she'd wanted to make sure of it before she began her search. She quickly walked away from the garden though, being so near what Twilight had chosen to call the Behemoth was not a comfortable experience if prolonged too far, and it was not advisable either. She'd do her studies on it one day, but not then.
She couldn't antagonise the creature too much, though. It was, after all, most likely the reason she was there. Breathing and thinking and alive again, for a second time. And soon to be looking for the one who'd been responsible for the first.
Such things she'd missed in her absence. It was a very fortunate thing that ponies were more than willing to share everything there could be to ask. A very unfortunate one that the most of them were not so reliable in the accuracy of their narrations. Thankfully, written official records did exist, and as weird as it could seem for a pony to be studying the previous year's events as one would ancient history it was still not something anyone stopped her from doing.
There could have been an easier way to get her information, in truth. She could have asked directly to the pony who'd been there for most of those events. It would have been the more efficient solution, perhaps the best one overall in terms of results as well. Yet, she had her reasons not to approach that pony just yet.
It wasn't fear. She mentally laughed at that. But it was still personal reasons. She did not want her first personal meeting with the alicorn to be wasted on such frivolous details, mere necessities in her plans. No. She'd meet Twilight when the time came for her to crush the pony under her hooves. And besides, the mere thought of having to rely on her was revolting. Stellaria's steps became a little louder as she stomped her way away from the castle. It made her blood boil, the idea of lowering herself to being dependent on Twilight Sparkle of all creatures. She didn't need anyone, she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
She'd been neither particularly pleased nor displeased at the news of Chrysalis's imprisonment. While she had reasons for both on a personal level, the event itself was merely the natural and expected consequence of the changeling's incompetence. Much as one could love or hate a tree there was no sense in feeling anything over it losing its leaves in autumn. But Chrysalis's escape was another matter.
She'd been debating whether she should have broken the statue or kept it as her own, or perhaps both. But now that the changeling was out there in the world, she could do a lot more than that. And she planned to have as much fun as she could out of it.