Silver was awoken the next day by a young pup that apparently wanted him to show him what he could do. Silver didn't want to hurt the boy, but he wouldn't accept it anymore. He nudged the jackal back, and the boy become confused. "Is something wrong? They said you like doing that."
Silver perked his ears curiously. "No, I tolerated it, and I'm done with that."
The boy suddenly smiled. "What are you going to do about it, pony? You're our pet."
He turned and walked off, seemingly satisfied with the conversation. A female approached soon after, scowling at him. "What's the big idea, pony, turning my son away? You're supposed to do what we say, or are you useless for that now?" She had her arms crossed under her breasts.
She was kind of cute, even though she was angry, at least as far as Silver was concerned. He didn't want to hurt her either, but he wouldn't back down. Silver inclined an ear at her. "I'm a guest, not a pet. No."
She grabbed him by his necklace and pulled him forward. "Cut that bad attitude or we'll start cutting you! We don't need a pet that can't follow orders."
He lifted his wings and brought them together. With a casual flick, deliberately slow to show the jackal what he was doing, he removed the ring on his horn and tossed it aside. "Try me."
Her eyes widened a little in surprise. "What? What's that even supposed to mean?" Did she not know what a horn blocker could do? Silver supposed equestrian unicorn prisoners were rare enough. She flexed her fingers, showing off her sharp claws and getting into a fighting stance. "I'll beat you down myself if I have to, pony."
Silver nodded slowly. "I'll defend myself. I'm done being abused. I don't want you as an enemy, but I will not tolerate any of you to be my conqueror."
She lunged for him. She tried to dig her claws into his face, but he twisted aside from the blow and grabbed her in his telekinetic hold and shoved her to the ground. The imbalance of his jewelry didn't allow him to hold it for long easily, but just a moment was enough for him to sit on her.
The jackal female spat and cursed under him. The noise was drawing other jackals to peer and wonder at the scene they were making.
A male laughed with obvious amusement. "Arat, did you get beaten by our pet? You should be ashamed. Pet, get off of her."
Silver had little motivation to keep pinning her and rose from her. She scrambled away with a scowl, and the others continued to mock her. He had gained some tiny shred of credibility for his actions, it seemed, and he was brought a full meal for once instead of leavings and being told to forage the grass.
Silver filled his belly, and was happier. So long as they respected him, he would respect them. Even being petted he didn't mind, but in the late afternoon, one of the males approached with that horn blocker. "Who took this off? Back on it goes."
When the male tried to slip it on, Silver bit him. He shared his emotion of disgust and anger with the jackal, and the male roared with surprise and anger. He dropped the ring and staggered back, then drew a wicked looking club. "Bad pet! Bad! I'll teach you some lessons!"
Silver played some magic over his horn and blinked as the club came crashing down where he had been. He appeared behind the jackal and lashed out his hooves, knocking the jackal to the ground, but the warrior scrambled to his feet quickly. "Bad pet..."
There was a crowd gathering to watch the fight, but not a single other Anubian joined. They watched with fascination, and some cheered on the jackal, but a few were cheering on Silver.
The second strike hit true, bashing Silver across the chest in an explosion of pain, but he wouldn't give up so easily. He rolled with the strike and pulled the jackal with a quick grab of his teeth, and soon had him on the ground again. He stomped with a hoof and poured energy through it. The grasses ensnared the arm he had pounded, pinning the jackal to the ground. "No."
One of the witnesses burst into laughter and clapped his hands together. "You hear that? The pony's standing up for itself."
One of the scrawnier-looking females seemed to look at Silver with a new interest. Was she fluttering her lashes at him? They pulled the defeated one away, and Silver was given more pettings. It seemed he was still a pet, but he was becoming a more prized one. They ordered him less often, and spoke as if he could reply, and he did. His position was improved, even if only a little bit. None were brave enough to demand he pleasure them that day.
That evening they approached Silver with a pony in chains. "We've had this pet for years. She's practically worthless, broken. Maybe you can use her?" The jackal at the forefront shoved the little pegasus forward. She collapsed at his hooves, weak and broken. He guessed she was used for whatever they wanted, and she didn't fight back well enough. Silver felt bad for her, but they were watching, and he couldn't lose by becoming weak in their eyes.
He pointed at her. "And if I don't want her?"
The jackal shrugged. "We kill her. She's useless."
Silver winced internally. He wouldn't sentence a fellow pony to death. He wrapped her in magic and lifted her to her hooves. "Do you have a name?"
She looked at him, then away, trembling with fear. "I... I'm just a pet..."
Her words only drew more amusement from the Anubians. Silver frowned a little, then nodded. "Very well, pet. You will serve as my pillow." He drew her close as he settled for the evening.
That night, he did not visit Celestia right away, instead he entered the tattered gateway to the abused pegasus.
Her dreams were shallow and broken. They were barely dreams at all, as if she didn't dare to dream. He banished the fog from them and summoned her trembling form to the fore. "You are safe here. We are in your mind, where none can follow us. I am like Luna. Do you remember Luna?"
She smiled a little. "Y-yes... I tried to call her for help, but she never came... Are you her agent?"
Silver nodded. "You could say that. I am her husband. I am Silver Stars, Prince Silver Stars. You will refer to me as Prince." He silently swore to himself that he would not allow himself to become entangled in this mare. He would help her, but not take her in. "You are safe for now. When I order you, you will obey, because they expect that. When others order you, however, you will defy them. You will tell them that you only obey your master, Prince Silver Stars. If they get angry, tell them to challenge me for the right to order you."
Her face became brighter with hope. She bobbed her head quickly. "Yes! I will do that, m'lord. Thank you! Thank you so much." Tears began to stream down her face. "Oh thank harmony you've come for me!"
He left her, and she started to have a real dream. He didn't stay to watch it, and instead reported in to Celestia. Celestia hugged him tightly and was worried, but delighted with the news that he had started fighting back with building success. "Good. Show them you are a prince, not a lapdog. Have you learned anything we can use against them?"
Silver shook his head. "I am learning a lot of little things, but I'm not done, yet. I do feel I'm doing the right thing."
Silver left her dream and awoken to see the same little boy jackal from the morning before approaching. He turned his ears at the pup. "Are you back to try again?"
The boy shook his head. "They say you beat mom."
Silver nodded. "I did, but it was to defend myself. I won't be abused further."
The boy snorted softly. "If you say so." He moved off without another word.
The pegasus awoke soon and moved to stand beside Silver. She trembled a little with obvious fear, but Silver's presence seemed to calm her a little. When jackals approached they mostly paid attention to Silver and ignored her.
Nefertari approached in the mid morning with a smirk. "I've been told you aren't being a very good pet." She noticed the lack of the blocker quickly and tsked her tongue. "And already slipping your collar? Quite a naughty pet you are."
Silver snorted at her. "I won't be abused any more. I will gladly be a guest, and a friend, but not someone to be used."
Nefer suddenly lashed out with a paw, wreathed in chilly blue magic that sent a spike of shivers through Silver's body. "You are what I say you are."
Silver let the magic in him rage, and the chilly grasp was quickly broken. The imbalance she had caused also stirred a firm erection from the flow, and that only made him angry. He had been so happy to be freed of the linking of loins and power.
Nefer sniffed softly. "Does the pony seek to get attention of a different sort from me? Hmmph, you can't even step towards my tent, let alone share it with me, pathetic pet."
Silver accepted the challenge and stepped away from the grass. The magic tried to pin him down, but he was angry and he pulled against it with an enraged whicker. It felt like a rope being tugged from the ground, and he burst through it, standing outside the patch of grass. "I am not a pet, Nefertari. Stop treating me like one."
Nefertari approached with a new, smoldering, look. "Hmmm, just the way I prefer my playthings. You've earned my attention." She reached out and ran a few fingers along his member. Despite his anger, the soft touch of her furry fingers did feel quite good. "Come with me, little one, and we'll see if that fighting streak of yours can last a little longer."
The pegasus timidly retreated under one of Silver's wings, which only brought Nefer's attention. She scowled at the pegasus mare. "He's mine, pathetic thing."
Silver threw a leg over the pegasus. "And she is mine."
Nefer raised a brow. "Oh? Hmm, interesting. Fine, both of you." She turned and walked away, her tail swaying and her hips moving in a way that kept pulling at Silver's attention despite any amount of fury. He led the still unnamed pegasus through the camp after Nefer, and they stepped into her large tent.
He could see a wash of magic come from her paws and seal the flap of the tent. "We're going to see what you're truly made of, now that your spirit is showing some signs of life. Are you truly a warrior, or is this just an echo? We'll find out, and you may become something better, or I might just break you. Shall we find out?"