//------------------------------//
// 5 - Interludes and Procrastinations 
// Story: Courage the Cowardly Dog In: Dog Days 
// by lunabrony 
//------------------------------//

	Word was spreading slowly but surely about the goings on of the most recent development of disappearing children. Back in Ponyville, Mayor Mare had declared an absolutely mandatory curfew for all fillies, colts and yearlings, and none of them were to go anywhere unsupervised by an adult. Two more children had been abducted, both cases resulted in the frantic terror of the parents. Some were slowly realizing that even with supervision there was little to nothing they could do to prevent the abductions from happening, so quick and unexpected as they were, but precautions had to be taken just the same.

Applejack had left the farm under the care of her brother, and was watching Scootaloo as a substitute big sister, not wanting the Crusader to suffer the same fate as her sister while the little filly's parents were out of town.

Rarity had closed up the Boutique, and was tending to Sweetie Belle. 

Pinkie was guarding the secret formula of her favorite method of making cupcakes, just in case the kidnapper decided to switch gears and go after confectioneries instead. And just to be clear, the secret ingredient was caramel, not... well, you know, and we won't go into that.

Fluttershy was, of course, quite distraught over losing Courage, and was tending to her own frightened animals in the hopes that he might be returned safe, without having even the slightest idea where to begin looking for him.

And all across town, parents were locking down on their children, many not letting them out of their sight, and the children were feverishly protesting this sudden, blatant invasion of their privacy by their totally lame parents.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Rainbow Dash made it to Canterlot in record time. Rainbow flew and made it to the city first, while Twilight teleported in bursts of energy several miles at a stretch. The distance between the two cities was too great to make in one jump for even a student of her aptitude, and small jumps were the required solution.

When Twilight arrived, Rainbow had been waiting for nearly an hour, and it was already well past evening. The sun had gone down, and the pegasus waited near a street lamp. "About time, slowpoke," Rainbow said. "We could have just taken the train, you know."

"No time," Twilight panted, trying to catch her breath. "We wouldn't have gotten here until tomorrow. That's why I wanted so badly to speak with Luna. Not only did she help us last time, but I knew that if I did my math right, she'd be on duty when we got here. And I-"

"-always do my math right," Rainbow finished with a sly smirk. "So you've claimed before."

The two made their way through the elite portion of the city where the wealthier ponies lived, and were waved on through by batpony guards who were pleasantly surprised to see them. They passed the hedge maze and the decorative statues it contained, and Twilight finally stopped outside the main entry doors to the castle.

"Something doesn't feel right," Twilight said, frowning. Rainbow Dash trusted her judgement, and looked around. Everything seemed to be in place.

"I don't get it," Rainbow said. She was sweeping her vision across everything that she could see just as Twilight was, but didn't understand what she was supposed to be looking for. Everything was calm, everything was peaceful, everything was in its place.

"Neither do I," Twilight replied. Something was bothering her, and she couldn't quite place what it was. Then it hit her all at once, and her eyes flew open. She trotted over to the hedge maze, and looked up. No longer at the center of its labyrinth but at the outer corner of the perimeter, stood the previously disenchanted statue of Discord. 

"I thought we took care of this," she said, sounding confused.

"Oh, but you did!"

The voice came from all around her instead of from one central point as one might expect, and Twilight jumped backwards out of instinct. The statue shimmered and its stone exterior seemed to melt into a kind of wax, dripping away to reveal the browns and greens underneath. Discord cracked his neck and swept towards them in a grand, dramatic bow. "Miss Sparkle and Miss Dash, I presume," the draconequus rumbled.

Twilight just sighed. She didn't have time for this, whatever -this- was.

"Discord, what are you up to?" she asked.

"ME?" His tone indicated great offense, as if one had just asked the Pope if he had been the one whom had farted. "Twilight, my dear, whatever makes you think I'm up to anything?"

"Because you always are."

Discord jumped down from his pedestal. "Touche, I suppose. But alas, when you most expect something, that is usually the most appropriate time for something unexpected to happen. As it happens, I am not up to anything. Despite how you may feel about me, neither Celestia nor Luna much enjoys the idea of me simply wandering about, and has tasked me with guarding the gardens. A somewhat ironic task, I must admit, as I grow so weary of the view." He rolled his eyes and flicked his talon around in tiny circles, as one might make a 'hurry up' gesture.

Consequently, the entirety of the hedge maze began to turn on its axis, rotating completely around so that instead of the entrance, they were staring at an unbroken wall of shrubbery. "Just think," Discord laughed. "If anyone is inside, they'll come out on the wrong side thinking they found a false exit, and will turn around and go right back in again!"

"Is anypony in there?" Rainbow asked.

"Who knows? That's half the fun. I have to keep myself entertained, you know."

Twilight sighed again. "We're in a hurry, Discord, we're here on matters that are extraordinarily time sensitive. I'll deal with you later. In the meantime, put that back!"

Discord shrugged, as if to indicate that he would think about it, and jumped back up on his pedestal again. "Ta-ta, Twilight. Au Revoir, Rainbow Dash!" He spun around several times like a ballerina, but this produced no visible effect.

"Oh, and Twilight?" he called.

Twilight looked back at him, eyebrow raised.

"Would you bring me a glass of water?"

Twilight and Rainbow Dash both exchanged a glance, then turned around and slammed the door in his face, disappearing into Canterlot Castle. They had questions to ask... but when they would leave again less than two hours later, they'd be wishing they'd never asked them.