//------------------------------//
// Cooldown 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
//------------------------------//

Chrysalis split her attention between the portal and the documents on her desk.
She had no plans of closing it. Whichever way she chose to go about it, she knew it would backfire. Close it and pretend Twilight had asked her to? She'd still have Stella breathing down her neck. In fact, she already knew how it would go. The alicorn would take out Starlight while no one was looking, then the two of them would play out a fake rescue mission for Twilight and end up replacing the two. The most she'd get out of it was a reason for Stellaria to keep her alive. Go in and come out pretending she was Twilight instead? Same thing, except Stella wouldn't need her alive then. 
If Twilight did actually end up asking for the portal to be closed? She'd do it, and then deal with the consequences as things played out. But for right then? She was hoping the alicorn would come back out safe and sound. Or preferably badly injured and barely alive, so long as she did make it out. She already had other plans, and that was why she was focusing on the documents as well.
A part of it was actually taking care of the work she was supposed to be doing. It would have come off as quite suspicious if it turned out she had done nothing but study what Twilight had given her while the alicorn was away. But on a personal level she was far more interested in learning those spells, and so she was carefully balancing her attention between the two tasks, all the while occasionally throwing a new glance at the portal.
She had a plan. A plan to get rid of Stella, and Twilight along with her if things went well. But she could deal with the original purple alicorn staying around. She could even deal with having to reveal herself if things came down to it, as long as it meant she'd get rid of the overgrown log who'd done nothing but ruin her life ever since she'd been born. She'd regretted not burning her to stay warm back when she could have every night since she'd met her again. She would have even been willing to ask the regular Twilight for help, if she'd thought it would make things easier.
She'd genuinely thought about it. As much as she despised the pony and everything she'd done to stop her plans both directly and indirectly, as much as she would not have hesitated to strand her off in another world under any other circumstances, Stella was a bigger problem. Big enough to make her even willing to collaborate. Thing was, she'd thought about it, and she'd realised speaking to Twilight wouldn't help.
Because convincing the pony would take time. Too much time. Enough time for Stella to notice something was off, and when she did notice... Chrysalis had seen what the alicorn could do, if she wanted. If Stella chose to get to her, there was no way Twilight could stop her. She wouldn't even know it was happening. Chrysalis shuddered. For all she knew, Stella could be right there in the room, and it would be impossible for her to tell it was so. She focused back on her supposed job. She just had to hope that was not the case.