“No.”
Tempest's eyebrows came together and she looked up. “I beg your pardon?”
Across from her, Rarity folded her arms and looked the agent square in the eye. “I said no.”
Perplexity joined the frown on Tempest's face. “And what exactly are you saying 'no' to, Miss Rarity? I haven't asked you any questions yet.”
A smirk crossed Rarity's lips. “And I'm saving us both a lot of time by telling you no.”
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and touching her fingertips together. “I have no intention of answering your questions or cooperating with your investigation in any way, Agent Shadow.”
Tempest put down her pen and leaned back in her own chair. “Really.”
Rarity's smirk turned into a grin. She reached down, produced her purse, and withdrew an envelope from it. She pulled out the piece of paper inside and slid it across to the agent. “This is an official statement from my parents that I am not to answer any of your questions without at least one of them and our family attorney present. They feel that, after our encounter at the mall, you may not be at your most reasonable if I give you answers you don't like.”
Rarity's expression darkened. “And from what Applejack told me just before I came here, you really do get unreasonable when people give you answers you don't like, don't you, Agent Shadow?”
Tempest's own frown darkened. “You are obstructing a federal investigation, Miss Rarity.”
“I'm sorry,” Rarity said. “I was under the impression that I was being questioned as a potential witness. Which, I am given to understand, means I am not required to comply with your wishes. I will, of course, be happy to answer your questions... once the quite reasonable stipulations of my parents are met.”
Tempest gestured to Luna. “Vice-Principal Luna is here to look after your interests.”
“And no offense meant to her,” Rarity replied. “But my parents feel that her authority may not be enough to keep you in check.”
“I'm afraid that's correct, Agent Shadow,” said Luna. “When Rarity's parents replied to my sister's email concerning these interviews, they declined to give permission for you to talk to her about anything pertaining to your investigation.”
Tempest felt her fists clench again. “Then why did you even bother coming down here, Miss Rarity?”
“I felt you should see the letter for yourself. You can keep that for your records, by the way. It's a copy.”
Tempest's nostrils flared. “You think you're so clever, don't you?”
Rarity shook her head. “Not at all. I would have been more than happy to help you... once. But after your frankly beastly behavior toward me and my friends, I'm finding the limits of my generosity severely tested.”
“And I'm finding my patience severely tested by you and your friends!” Tempest snapped. “I don't know what's going on in this city, but I do know you and your friends are in it up to your necks! So you can either tell me what is going on and what you have to do with it, or we can sit here for the remainder of the day until you do!”
Rarity looked at her coolly, then brought her hand up. “Oh, dear, I seem to have chipped a nail. Isn't that always the way?”
“What happened at the Fall Formal? It wasn't a gas leak. There is no gas pipe anywhere near the front of the school.”
Rarity pulled out a nail file and went to work on the offending fingernail.
“Who did you face off against in the Battle of the Bands. Some say it was Trixie and the Illusions, others say it was the Dazzlings. Which is it?”
Rarity blew the dust off the nail.
“What actually happened to the statue out front? I find it hard to believe a fireworks prank gone wrong could destroy a statue that large!”
Rarity rummaged in her purse again.
“How exactly did you sustain your injuries, Miss Rarity? You didn't answer that at our first encounter either. Why?”
Rarity extracted a bottle of nail polish and began coating the nail.
Tempest slammed her fists on the table, causing the bottle to overturn, spilling the polish over the table.
“Answer the question!” Tempest demanded.
Rarity calmly righted the bottle, returned the brush to it and put it back in her purse. She produced a handkerchief and began wiping up the spilled polish before looking up at the agent.
“I'm sorry. I do not see either my parents or my family's attorney here, Agent Shadow.”
“You are going to answer my questions eventually.”
“I'm sorry. Am I under arrest?”
Tempest's lips pursed. “... No.”
“Have I committed any crime which you are aware of?”
“No,” Tempest growled.
“Have I made it clear, in writing, the circumstances under which my parents will give permission for me to answer your questions?”
Tempest looked at the letter in front of her, then back up, her expression ugly. “Yes,” she admitted.
“Then I think we are done here.” Rarity wrapped the dirty handkerchief in some tissue paper, put it back in her purse and looked over at Luna. “I would like to go back to class now, Vice-Principal Luna.”
Luna looked at Tempest. When she spoke there was a faint hint of amusement. “Will there be anything else, Agent Shadow?”
Tempest glared at both of them. “For now,” she hissed.
Rarity smiled brightly and got herself situated in her canes. Luna helped her to her feet and held the conference room door open.
“Thank you very much,” Rarity said as she made her way out the door. She paused and looked over her shoulder at Tempest. “I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you, Agent Shadow. You'll find my family attorney's number on the letterhead. Give him a call and I'll be happy to help once everything is in order.”
Tempest said nothing. She looked down at her notes and began writing. Luna cleared her throat.
“I'm going to escort Rarity back to class,” she said. “Who would you like to speak to next?”
Tempest looked at her notes. “Twilight Sparkle,” she answered without looking up.
“I'll fetch her on my way back.” Luna gestured with her head at Rarity that they should go. She closed the door behind them.
Once they were a safe distance down the hall, Rarity let out a sigh and collapsed against the wall. Luna rushed over.
“Are you all right?” Worry was written across the administrator's face.
“That was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life,” Rarity said. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, which it had been doing ever since Tempest slammed the table.
“I don't know how long you girls will be able to keep this up,” Luna said. “She knows something's wrong with the stories we've told. I don't know if it was wise to antagonize her like that.”
“Probably not,” Rarity agreed. “But my parents were extremely unhappy about the incident at the mall and they've made their wishes very clear. I'm not about to buck their authority when it comes to this. Whether Agent Shadow likes it or not, there are still rules and laws about this kind of thing. And after what she did to Applejack, I wasn't about to let her sit there and think she could get away with it!”
“I understand, Rarity,” Luna said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. “Are you sure you're all right?”
Rarity nodded. “I'll be fine. The day's almost over and hopefully, that will be the end of our interactions with Agent Tempest Shadow.”
As Luna began to escort Rarity back to class, she glanced back at the conference room door.
I don't think you're done with Agent Shadow, yet, she thought. Not in the slightest.