She surveys her surroundings rapidly and then leaps from the pedestal, pinning Abrogail to the ground on her back with an expert motion that doesn't injure her but does leave her basically unable to fight back or spellcast.

"Who are you and why did you unpetrify me?" she asks.

"You wouldn't know me; I just wanted to see if all these statues were Celestia's petrified enemies, or only some of them."

"I'm not her enemy; are you?"

"It's complicated. Will you get off of me?"

The pegasus rises a few feet into the air, allowing Abrogail to stand. Abrogail will notice, once she can see more of her, her familiar-looking sword-and-sunburst cutie mark.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she says aloud.

She ignores that remark. "Again: who are you?" she asks. "Besides evil; I know that much."

The truth is probably sufficient here, but is unfortunately not all that believable. "I was sent here by someone who's probably an alternate universe version of you," she says. "For—redemption, or failing that containment, I suppose. The Princess knows my background and is okay with it. Why are you a statue and not a god?"

That's...well, it doesn't seem likely, but it's almost too weird to be a lie.

"I commanded the Equestrian forces in the war against Sombra, uh...what year is it?"

"1001."

"One thousand and—a thousand years since what?" She's fairly sure she didn't go back in time.

"Since Nightmare Moon was banished, as I understand it. I've only been here a few months."

"Nightmare—what happened to Luna?" she asks with a sudden look of deep concern.

"You should really ask someone else that," she says. "She's back now, though, and fine as far as I know. As of last summer."

"I think I need to talk to the Princess," she says, having completely forgotten her original intent of explaining her backstory.

"It's the middle of the Grand Galloping Gala; good luck."

"I'll do it later, I guess," she says. "Excuse me." She takes off into the air at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash cry, with no particular destination in mind.

That was kind of a baffling interaction, but not actually the most baffling she's had recently. Whatever. Let's see if this party is actually worth crashing.

Equestrian nobility are far less vicious than their Chelish or even Taldane counterparts, but for the most part are every bit as frivolous. They're roleplaying being Good instead of being Evil, but it's exactly as fake and Abrogail hates it just as much.

Also, no one seems to believe her claim to be foreign royalty.

It's because she doesn't have wings, isn't it. She's been here long enough to be aware of the pony racial hierarchy.

...can she Alter Self into the Princess?

No.

(Mechanically, this is because Celestia is an Outsider, not because she's been deliberately prevented from taking a form that has both a horn and wings.)

Well, she has a supernatural ability to grow temporary wings whenever she wants.

Checkmate, Celestia.

For some reason, this seems to make people anxiously avoid her!

—until, eventually, she's confronted by an actual alicorn with a mane like the night sky.

"WE HAVE HEARD," she says, in a voice far too loud for the room they're in, "THAT THOU HAST BEEN IMPERSONATING US."

"Who are—oh. Right."

She dismisses the wings.

"In fairness, I don't actually look anything like you."