Stroll

by re- Yamsmos

Away

It wasn't exactly the first time that Octavia awoke without realizing where she was. While she was, of course, a refined mare and could not be seen under the influence, she enjoyed wine and drank it like nopony's business when nopony was around. Her house had a front lock, and it was used quite frequently. And that was something Octavia could be proud of. Caberneigh Sauvignon was a Gods sent gift and fortunes were spent on bottles of them.

But, it was not the first time that Octavia woke up like this. This time, it was not from a wine-induced hangover that was totally worth it, and it did not come with the splitting headache accompanied by one. As well, when Octavia awoke - shrouded in black and unable to see - she was able to remember where she was in a matter of seconds. And when she did so, Octavia's eyes dwarfed dinner plates and she opened her mouth to scream for help.

It was at that moment in her life when she noticed something very peculiar. And Octavia was a very peculiar-something-noticer when it came down to it. Despite darkness, magic auras were easily able to be seen, almost like glow in the dark lights in a way. And as Octavia looked down at her mouth, and then at her body, she noticed that a distinct yellow glow was absent from around her. Raising her hooves up to her eyes, she realized that she was no longer shackled, chained, like an animal in a jail cell.

A voice spoke up through the tarp above her, clear as day despite its muffled being.

"Why did you decide to ford that river? Are you legitimately stupid?!"

Ugh. Idiots. Not wanting to pay attention to their lousy banter, Octavia's eyes peered around the back of the wagon for an escape route. The fact that everything she could see was pitch black didn't serve to help her one bit, almost like a little brother who was better at art than you but had arthritis in every one of his joints. Octavia shook her head. It was no time for witty comparisons, she had to find a way out of here. As she fussed about, crawling in a prone manner around the wagon's bed, she thought for a second and elected to raise an ear up to listen to the thieves anyway.

Her mind thought that her hooves would creak against the obviously old wood, but the low noise it generated was completely drowned out by the sounds of the wheels clattering, the hooves clopping, and the conversation that she could hear clear as day.

"Look, Lock Jaw, it's not my fault that the other way around was a bucking mountain," a mare spat back, "what else were we supposed to do, climb it?"

"Don't speak to me like that. You want to get paid, lass?"

A short hum was issued.

"Well yeah–"

"Then shut yer trap an' keep trottin'. We've got ta take these grabs out to the meeting area, we don't have any time to waste." A groan came from Lock Jaw's maw as he added, "That means you, Lionheart."

Octavia rolled her eyes. These thieves were obviously novices at their job. She bet that they didn't even know what a dye pack was. Pfft, amateurs. Her eyes suddenly darted around nervously. She hoped that nopony had somehow heard her think that. That crazy pink party pony included, Gods, Octavia swore she was everywhere at once. Still keeping one ear at attention, she prodded at the corner by her side when Lionheart's response came.

"Sorry Lock, it's just... did we really have to go through the Everfree Forest? This place is dangerous as Tartarus at night, hay the only reason we're prob'ly still alive is because there's four of us–"

"Four? Sonny, are you blind?"

"It's us three and that mare we captured. What're we gonna do with her anyway?"

Another short hum was issued from the same pony as last time.

"We could kill her." Octavia's pupils dilated. Oh no. "I mean, she did see us back there. What else are we gonna do?"

"We can't just kill her, we're not murderers! Hay, the whole plan was to not kill anypony! Are you out of your mind, Red?!"

"Probably–"

"Enough. Both of you, shut it." Octavia gave an oddly impressed expression to nopony in particular as she noticed that the cart was silent once more. "Listen, we'll figure it out when we get there. For now, just focus on the road... no tellin' what could be out here b'sides us..." Octavia could just imagine the curt nods that were given to Lock Jaw as the wheels rose as the only sound audible again. Her teeth found their way out of her mouth to bite on her bottom lip, and as she chewed nervously, her eyes panicked about to search for anything of interest.

What she found made her heart skip a beat. Narrowing her eyes, she crawled to the back end of the wagon and worked her way next to the left side hinge. A hum escaped her lips, and Octavia observed the wood around the metallic piece thoughtfully. A minute or so passed, and Octavia's curiosity skyrocketed. Delicately bringing a hoof up to the wood, she pressed against it to test its resistance. Said resistance was completely absent, and the mare's purple irises finally found light through the new hole in the wagon's frame.

Peering through, she silently cursed as she found Luna's moon hanging high above her in the sky, placed perfectly in the middle of the tree-shrouded road she and her... companions... were currently travelling down. Its white light seemed to glow as she frowned at it. Pulling her face back from the hole, she brought her hoof back up to it and moved it in a circular pattern. Surprisingly, the wood gave way like melted butter, and she happily watched as the soaked fragments fell into the dust behind them.

An idea formed in her head, and Octavia scooted closer to the gap. Pressing her body against it, she reached her hoof outside and felt around for the lock on the outside of the tailgate. Sticking her tongue out, she growled down in her throat somewhere and patted the oak like it was an adorable dog that didn't whiz on your carpet. Grumbling to herself, her hoof suddenly caught the feeling of cold steel, and as she unhooked the latch, the wagon suddenly hit a bump.

And, as the wagon took to the air by a foot or two, it deposited a very tired, very annoyed Octavia onto the ground behind it. The mare rolled around enough times to make her feel the sensation to vomit, and she shut her eyes tightly as the dust from the cart rose up around her face. Shakily raising a hoof to her eyes, she realized too late that she hadn't cared for her mouth and had taken in a quart or two of grime, which most certainly wasn't healthy as far as she knew.

Hacking up a few lungs, Octavia rose to all four hooves and looked back at the wagon now yards away in the distance. Her mane was slightly bedraggled and dirtied with twigs, but a bright yellow sign shone at her from the back of the cart. The drivers were too occupied with staring straight ahead to not notice the mare's escape, and as they began to grow even further away, Octavia strained her eyes to look at what caught her attention in the light of the moon. Mouthing what she saw, she read it in her mind.

How's My Driving? Mail 11107 Wallaby Way, PV!

Octavia suppressed a grumble, a single hoof rising to her right eye and rubbing it slowly. Yup. She got kidnapped by a trio of novice thieves straight out the womb. Who in their right mind would order a rental to perform a robbery? Her groan escaped, just as she had, undetected and completely unstoppable. Regaining her composure, she looked back at the wagon and found it had disappeared over a hill a long ways away. Wiping the dust off her body with a huff of annoyance, her eyes traveled downward and toward the ground by her hooves. She stopped and blinked a kind of Morse code that had never been created before.

The three burlap sacks sat in the road next to her, completely forgotten by their kidnappers. Octavia sucked in a breath, taking a step back as she looked every which way. Gritting her teeth, she let out a low breath and mentally braced herself for what she was about to see. Taking a few dainty hoofsteps toward the bags, she halted, closed her eyes, and pulled the closest one open as quickly as she could. Hearing the rope fall to the ground, she cracked an eye open carefully and consequently lost her mind.

A couple of juice boxes sat atop one another in a perfect stack, their plastic wrap still present around them. Octavia stuttered what any sane mare would stutter at that moment.

"W– What?"

Curiosity reaching its peak, she walked toward the next and opened it as well. Poking her nose inside, dozens of boxes of candy bars, cookies, and potato chips greeted her with bright colors and happy slogans. She didn't feel like Chowing Down On A Half Brown at that moment, and Trying A Dixie Biscuit didn't seem too favorable for the time being. Octavia licked her lips. There was still one more bag to open. She wondered what it would have in it, seeing as how the others had food and drink and there was no third part to that.

Deciding to open it with her teeth this time, she loosened the rope and let it fall once more. Immediately the sound came to her, and Octavia almost fell to the ground in a reasonable faint. Though she wasn't a criminal at all, she knew what thousands of bits were when she saw them. Her breath caught in her throat, and she found herself simply staring at the robbers' take for what felt like hours. She shook her head, dispelling the dollar signs she felt edging their way into her eyes. This wasn't hers to even consider taking. Closing the bit sack back up, she bit down on it and turned tail to get the others.

Tying their ropes to one another, she closed the food and drink sacks back up again and slung them over her back. Smiling at their successfully symmetrical hanging, Octavia grunted at the new weight gain, bit down on the bit bag once more, and trudged off the side of the road to find shelter for the night. After all, it wasn't a good idea to wander about the Everfree Forest at night when you had no idea where you were in the Everfree Forest at night. Octavia didn't pay attention to maps, and she never really went outside besides to and from concerts, so navigating wasn't a strong suit of hers.

In fact, it was probably a suit made of wet paper bags and tin foil.

Besides, when the sun came up, she would find her way back home.

She would. No matter if it took hours. Or days. Or weeks. Or even months. She'd find her way back home. And hopefully prevent the fire that would soon emerge from her still burning oven. Just a simple walk around town was all.

Sometimes you just need to take a walk.

And what a walk Octavia took.

Author's Note:

Okay so maybe I had inspiration again and a chapter came out like a day after. And okay so maybe there will be chapters out whenever I feel like making one. But keep in mind they're not a priority. They will be once I'm done with another work of mine, but not until then.

Comments

[hoodieninja447]

Octavia rolled her eyes. These thieves were obviously novices at their job. She bet that they didn't even know what a dye pack was. Pfft, amateurs.

Wait, has she done this before?
Yeah, so you remember what I said about Tie Fighters? Same story. And still more than worth it.
Cool story bro.

[nekomyah]

Thief Octavia strikes again! :3

[dereturd]

Congrats, making Octavia escape from her prison and making her a thief just got to the Top 1 of my favorite pony.

This thing is about to remind me of Arrow. If I see Octavia wielding a bow I would squeal.

[Silver Flare]

and patted the oak like it was an adorable dog that didn't whiz on your carpet.

Still an odd choice of words for such a refined mare, 'whiz,' but I'll admit that was a clever throwback.

This is quite entertaining. I love the tone you've set, and I honestly laughed aloud at a couple of scenes. It probably helps that it's three in the morning and I'm delirious from lack of sleep, but no matter. This is a delightful romp!

[Ice Star]

How's My Driving? Mail 11107 Wallaby Way, PV!

Those fucking things?