//------------------------------// // Frustration, Intel, and Fabric // Story: Consequences // by shallow15 //------------------------------// Tempest stalked out of the Canterlot Mall movie theater, mentally grumbling to herself. While Juniper Montage had worked there for a while, she was not employed by the theater now. Her family had moved out of town near the end of the summer. The theater manager didn’t know where, and Tempest knew she didn’t have time to track her down. She pulled out her phone. At the very least, she had confirmed that the blue-haired pigtailed girl in the video from the incident at the mall during the summer was, in fact, Montage. Tempest typed out a note next to Juniper’s name, reminding herself to follow up on the girl’s current location if necessary. She sat down on a handy bench and looked back over her leads. She still had a couple of hours before she had to meet up with Adagio, so there was time to pursue other avenues. Abacus Cinch,Tempest thought. I wonder if Grubber’s found anything yet. She switched from the notepad app to her phone and thumbed a contact. After a few rings, Grubber, her contact in the Intel department, came on the line. “THTORM Intel. ID and Thecurity Clearanthe, pleathe.” Tempest gave the information. “Any joy on that lead I gave you?” “The Printhipal from that prep thchool?” Grubber asked. “One thec…” Tempest held the phone away from her ear, not wanting to hear the wet smacking sounds of Grubber eating whatever he had this time. She rolled her eyes as her former partner started humming tunelessly. Once again, she thanked whatever higher powers there were that he had gotten the transfer to the Intel department before she did something he would regret. Tempest herself was certain she would have enjoyed whatever she wound up doing to him. “Okay, hereth’s what I got tho far,” Grubber lisped. “Abacuth Cinch wath the Principal of Crythtal Prep Academy for the latht twenty yearth. Last April, though, she took early retirement, thiting, and I quote, ‘a need to reatheth my profethional goalth and career path.’” “That’s it?” Tempest asked. “She just burned out.” “That’th her official reathon for retiring.” Grubber cackled and continued. “According to reporth I found with the Canterlot Board of Education, and the local PTA, ever thince this Friendship Gameth thing, she had complaints filed against her from theveral studenth with powerful parenth. Even her own second in command over there filed some reporth of her own.” Tempest quirked an eyebrow. Dissention in the ranks? “What kind of reports?” “Ummm… No detailth here, justh noteth that the reporth were filed. But, I think I found thomebody who can help you there.” “Yeah?” “Prethident Neighthay of the Canterlot Education Athothiathion. They handle thingth like that where teacherth are involved. Hith office openth at eight AM on Monday.” “Neighsay?” “Neigsthay, right. That’th what I thaid.” “Right,” Tempest said, trying not to sigh. “Get me the number, I’ll call them on Monday.” “Thorry, Tempetht. Wish I had more for you.” “It’s fine. I’ll –” Tempest closed her mouth as she saw a certain violet-haired girl in a wheelchair roll through her field of vision. Tempest watched her pass, then stood up. “Grubber, I’ll call you back.” She hung up without waiting for an answer and began following Rarity at a distance. Being Saturday, the mall was fairly busy, but Tempest managed to keep track of the girl from the movements of the crowd who parted for the wheelchair as it passed. Soon, Rarity broke from the flow of foot traffic and made her way into the mall’s fabric store. Tempest watched her wave to the clerk on duty. Clearly, she was a regular customer. As Rarity disappeared into the shop, Tempest considered. On the one hand, she had an opportunity to question the girl directly about her injuries. On the other, doing so without a parent present could present problems. Not huge ones. The agent had dealt with situations like this in the past, but the resistance she had gotten so far made her wary. More observation then. See if an opportunity presents itself. Tempest crossed the hall and entered the store. She nodded at the cashier on duty and began pretending to look at the various fabrics on display. A couple of rows over, Rarity was looking at a dark orange fabric and comparing it to a smaller swatch she had in her hand. “Hmm,” Rarity hmmm’ed. “Not quite the right shade, but… Thimble! Is this one still on sale?” “Even better!” called the clerk. “We just marked it down on Wednesday!” Rarity grinned. “Delightful!” Rarity put the bolt on her lap and wheeled over to a large cutting table at the back of the store. Tempest slowly made her way in that direction, watching out of the corner of her eye as Rarity put on a pair of red framed eyeglasses and spread the cloth out over the table, next to a built-in ruler. “Let’s see… I need this much for the body… a little more for the sleeves. Oh yes, this will do nicely.” She grabbed a pair of scissors from a jar on the corner of the table and measured the cloth out again, humming a tune to herself. Tempest drifted across the room and moved behind her, pretending to look at the bolts on the rack next to the table. She slowly made her way down the rack, looking for any evidence of the horse ears Rarity had been wearing in the music video. “If you’re going to watch every move I make, you could at least do the courtesy of introducing yourself.” Tempest froze as Rarity wheeled herself around and looked at the agent over the top of her glasses. “Can I help you with something, darling?”