For the moment I decided to play the waiting game -- not that I really had a choice in the matter.

I had been thrown back into the brig, and during the last hour or so that I had been here, I took some time to really think about my current situation and what I could do about it.

If I wanted to get something done, I figured the best way right now was to wait until the opportunity presented itself, and make sure that I didn't miss that opportunity. I had no idea how long it would be, but as the Captain was leaving after putting me back in my cell, I overheard Napoleon mention something about the slaves arriving soon.

I assumed that meant we'd be leaving for this Katzcandi place soon, and my chance at escape would be minimal at best. At that point, the only option more or less would be to start some kind of slave rebellion in the hopes that we could take over the ship.

It was a long shot... maybe.

I didn't know exactly how many crew members there were going to be, but they almost certainly wouldn't be nearly as much as the slaves. I doubted I was charismatic enough to lead a full on rebellion against the Captain and his crew, and that wasn't even factoring in the question of how willing these slaves were to rebel in the first place.

I suddenly found myself thinking about the imprisoned earthbenders in that one episode of Avatar and couldn't help but grimace. I got the feeling the slaves would be a lot like they were, and wouldn't be so easy to convince in the end.

I wasn't one for rousing, impassioned speeches thought up at the spur of the moment, and I quickly decided that a stunt like the one Katara pulled would get me killed real quick, and then even if I somehow became a martyr it wouldn't even matter.

Because they'd all die in the end.

No, I'd need to be a bit more subtle than that, and that was something I might've been able to pull off, assuming I was given the chance to get close to the other slaves.

There was also the whole 'strange new bipedal creature that the world has never seen' thing to consider. Would me being a human be a boon or a hindrance? Would it make them less likely to trust me?

It was likely, but I couldn't know for sure until the slaves actually arrived and saw me for themselves, so I moved my thought process along. I'd figure something out once I had the opportunity to act, but there was one other very important issue to consider.

Rarity.

I didn't know what they had done to her or what that little sausage link Napoleon had injected her with, but from what he had said, it sounded like it was supposed to erase her memory. That or make her into some sort of emotionless blank slate the Captain could manipulate into serving him.

The thought made me shudder.

Rarity becoming a villain through mental manipulation would've made for an interesting read, but this wasn't a fanfiction, and there were very real stakes and lives I had to consider.

How the hell was I supposed to get Rarity out of here along with myself and possibly the other slaves?

At the moment, as far as I could tell, the white mare was still unconscious in her cell, and in the last hour or so that I had been here, neither the Captain, nor Napoleon had come back down to check on us.

Walking up to the bars of my cell, I looked around the dark room, listening for any indication that Napoleon or the Captain were on their way down. When I didn't hear anything but the settling of the ship, I decided to see if she was awake.

"Hey, Rarity," I called out in a loud whisper, gripping the bars of my cell and futilely looking over to where the next cell was, "Rarity, can you hear me?"

No response.

"Dammit," I muttered, pulling away from the bars, "guess I'll have to wait."

I went to sit against the back wall and do some more thinking, when I heard a voice from the direction of Rarity's cell.

"Rarity... that sounds like such a nice name," the voice muttered to itself somewhat longingly, "I wonder who he's talking about... it couldn't be me surely..."

Are you shitting me? How long has she been awake?

"Rarity?"

I stopped and mentally slapped myself as I walked back over to the bars.

"I'm talking about you," I called back, "your name is Rarity."

There was a pause, and then...

"Is that really my name?" Rarity asked hopefully, "I can't recall... anything before waking up here, but my head hurts terribly and I'm fairly sure I don't quite like the looks of this ship."

It looks like she's still Rarity, even without her memory... that's good, that might make things easier.

"Yes, that's your name," I said somewhat quickly, just knowing I was going to be interrupted by an opening door soon, "okay look, I probably don't have a lot of time to explain right now, but my name is Salvatore and right now we're both prisoners."

"What?!" Rarity cried in alarm, "why? What did I do?"

Got one of your friends killed because of a stupid decision apparently.

"You didn't do anything," I replied instead, "we we're captured by some... very bad people, but right at this moment, that's not what's important--"

"I very much beg to differ!" Rarity interjected, her voice full of panic, "why did they capture me? Who captured me? Why can't I remember anything?"

"Rarity, please, calm down," I pleaded, "freaking out isn't going to get us anywhere -- in fact, it'll probably just bring the Captain here, and then we're both screwed."

That seemed to shut her up some, though she gave an occasional sob.

This was actually a good thing -- the fear and doubt of her situation, not the actual sobbing.

I had no doubt the Captain would try to convince Rarity that he was the good guy, but if I could poison the well, maybe I could prevent her from being brainwashed. Maybe I could even make her remember who she was, if I was lucky enough.

Or maybe it would make things worse in a way I didn't expect.

I weighed my options.

If the Captain couldn't turn Rarity into his right hand mare, then he might find it more prudent to make her a slave like all the rest. Somehow I felt it was far more likely that he'd just outright kill her though.

Dammit! Should I risk it?

My attention snapped back to Rarity as she began to whimper and mumble to herself. I grimaced for a moment before an idea came to me, Rarity's earlier theatrics popping into my mind and reminding me of one of her strengths.

It's risky, but if Rarity is this much like her old self without her memory, she just might be able to pull it off.

"Rarity, I need you to keep calm and listen to me," I said sternly, but as calmly as I could, "I might have a way to get us out of here, but I need your help."

It took a second, but eventually Rarity's cries died down to mere sniffles and after another small pause, she responded with a weak, small voice.

"Y-You have a plan?" she asked hopefully, "can you really get us out of this horrid situation?"

"It might take some time... and you might have to do some things you don't want to do," I said tentatively, "but I think I could make it work."

Before I told Rarity what my plan was, I took a moment to fill her in on our current predicament, telling her about the Captain and how Napoleon drugged her. I left out what had happened to her friends for the moment.

Once she was caught up, I proceeded to tell her my plan, speaking quietly. I hadn't heard the door open at all, but it paid to be careful right now.

"The Captain is most likely going to try to convince you to join him as his number two or something like that," I explained, "what I need for you to do, is play along with what he wants."

I expected her to cry out against the idea, but she was strangely quiet for a few moments.

"...Rarity?"

"I think I understand," Rarity finally replied, "I may not know who I am right now, or what this all about, but I do know we're not getting out of this without a little subtlety."

I relaxed somewhat, glad that she had caught on so quickly.

"Right," I continued with a nod she couldn't see, "I have to warn you though, Rarity, he said something about 'training' you, and I don't know what his methods are going to be, but I'm pretty sure they're not gonna be pleasant."

"Ah... I see," Rarity replied, much less sure of herself at my words, "well, I... I suppose I'll have to just... bear with it for now."

I was amazed at just how much of herself she had retained despite the memory loss. I don't know how effective Napoleon's drug was supposed to be, but I started to get the feeling it hadn't worked exactly as intended.

"Just remember, you are Rarity," I reinforced, "you are confident, you are beautiful, you ooze grace, and you could have any stallion eating out of your hoof with your charms. I don't know too much else about you," I lied, "but I know this much. No matter how he tries to manipulate you, always keep this in mind."

"I am Rarity," she repeated as if to internalize the fact, "though I may act like it, I am nopony's puppet."

"Exactly," I replied, happy with the way things were going so far, "remember that, and you should be fine... hopefully."

"And what about you?" she suddenly asked, "what's to be your role in all of this, Salvatore?"

I grimaced as I was reminded of what I had to do. When I answered, it was with bitterness, a great lack of enthusiasm, and more than a little trepidation.

"I have to start a slave rebellion."

Next Chapter: Equus II – I Will do What I Must Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 14 Minutes