Silver glared at her even as his thoughts whirred with thoughts of what she wanted. Was she trying to goad him into going human like she had? He was happy as a pony. "You can't order me around." He stood up tall despite the pains it invited from his various wounds. "I'm not obeying you like some kind of pet."
She pulled at the pegasus, easily producing a pained squeal from the helpless victim. "Not even for her? You're the only one that could save her."
I grit my teeth. "If you kill her, you're just proving you have no honor, and no real interest in a fight. She's broken and helpless already."
Nefertari laughed softly. "Maybe, but she's yours. If you care about her, protect her." She slapped the pegasus across the snout. "Do something." She threw the pegasus to the ground in a limp heap. "Or it's as much your own fault."
Silver lurched forward. Despite the lacerations and other injuries, he moved swiftly with power flowing into his hooves. She tried to stop him, but he was the personification of earth pony, and he bulldozed past her to grab up the pegasus. With a bright flash, he vanished. He didn't stay gone for long. Though he could have fled from her, from everything, he hadn't given up.
He appeared abruptly on Celestia's ship and dropped the pegasus. Without a word, he was gone. He silently prayed that she would get the help she needed.
He arrived in time to catch Nefertari's claws across the face and he staggered back, vision clouded with his own blood.
"Wretched pony!" she hissed, face contorted in anger before it melted into a bit of a smile. "Now tell me, why did you come back? You were gone. I couldn't even feel your presence, but here you are, bleeding on my floor."
Silver grunted. "I'm not giving up to you, Nefertari. I protected her. That was..." He paused to spit up some blood that had built up. "That was my duty, but I haven't yielded."
Nefertari moved up to Silver, ducking around a feeble lashing of his hooves to stroke over his neck. "There is a fine spirit in there, hiding. You need a more caring hand." As she stroked over his neck on both sides, he found himself becoming relaxed. He could scarcely focus with the injuries he'd suffered, and soon he was sagging under her continued petting and attention. Her little murmurs made him so relaxed, and she guided him to the ground where he laid out before her. She pet gently across his sides. "Now let's see if we can't get that spirit to rise."
Her right hand suddenly plunged into his chest and found his heart with terrifying speed. Silver tried to draw away, but her claws closed around his heart. The penetration somehow didn't hurt, but the claws promised horrible pain and death. He felt the paw go cold, then blazing hot. Something inside of him reacted to it, and everything got blurry. "There it is... Relax, pony warrior."
Silver found his consciousness fleeing despite his best attempts. It all grew dark and silent around him.
"You fucked up again," said his father, glaring down at him. "And you're not even human anymore. Is this what I raised you for? You don't even call me. Did I even raise a son?"
Silver tried to reply, but he felt pain everywhere, especially itchy claws around his heart, and he could only lay there.
"You couldn't get a real job? You had a scholarship! You could have been a programmer, like you said you wanted to be, instead, this? You're a fuck up."
Silver quietly boiled and lamented. He didn't want to hear his father criticising him further, but he couldn't stand up. He couldn't speak. He could only listen. He tried to tune it out, but it was so loud and pierced his prone form.
"Dave the Destroyer, here to strike again. Maybe what you really need is a spanking. The last one I gave you, you ran away. Isn't that how you solve all your problems? Running away only works for so long, David." He felt a strike across his butt, and his soul felt like it was withering. He was being hit. They weren't huge hits, but he couldn't do anything about it, just listen as his dad berated him between the soft swats. Did he deserve it?
No. David shoved his father away, wearing his human form in plain clothes. "You don't matter anymore! None of this bullshit matters. I'm not going down to some childhood nonsense like it means a damn thing to anyone."
Silver sharply awoke with a gasp.
Nefertari sat in front of him with a smile. "And the warrior awakens." She reached and rubbed under his chin, but it felt wrong. His chin felt wrong... She lifted a mirror with her free hand, and Silver could see that he was an anthropomorphic pony. His snout was severely reduced, but he still had large ears. He could feel his wings at his back, but he had legs and arms, like a human should, even if his legs ended in pony hooves. "I knew you had it in you."
He still had his jewels, clinging to his altered form without any sign of not fitting. He still had his wings, and slit eyes. He was still Silver, just... a disturbingly human-like one. "Why did you do this? What do you want?"
She placed a hand on his chest, over his heart. "The spirit spoke long ago of a pony with a warrior's spirit, who would break us, destroy us."
Silver scowled. "Why put so much effort into destroying yourselves?"
She smiled broadly. "You can't reforge something without breaking it. If the spirits will it, then we are ready to be struck. Are you their hammer? What would you forge out of us, hmm?" She rose to her feet and stretched. She was still messy from when Silver had his way with her, he noticed with a bit of a blush. "You are a warrior. I will tell the others. Pet you are no longer."
She stepped away, walking through the flap that seemed to restore itself for her without a delay.
Silver was left alone, tired and sore, but not feeling like sleep. His body demanded action. He got up to his hooves and rocked a moment. He had forgotten about standing on two legs, but the balance came swiftly enough. He clenched and unclenched his fists before noticing they didn't have shoes. He only had shoes on his actual hooves, but they felt just as effective. He was still bloodied and hurt, but he didn't feel like sleeping, or laying down.
The flap stirred and the scrawny Anubian female from before peeked in. She smiled at him. "Um, sir? Could we talk?"
He wanted to move, but didn't know where. Her offer seemed as good as any and he followed her out into the collection of tents. The sight of him made other Anubians whisper behind his back, or in front of his face. They were excited about it.
A more comely female approached swiftly and snarled at the scrawny one. "You're not getting him. He's too good for you." She shoved the scrawny one who fell to the ground roughly. "Go do something useful!"
Silver felt his heart begin to race. He was tired of seeing the weak being picked on. He grabbed the curvy and muscular jackal and roared in her face as he lifted her from the ground. "You will leave her alone! She's not hurting anyone!"
The muscular one's ears flipped back before she twisted, escaping his grip and exposing her claws. "You want to fight, warrior? If you win, maybe I'll let you work out your stress on me, hmm?"
Silver became confused for a moment. She wanted to battle, and offered to fuck if she lost? He glanced and saw the scrawny one meekly shying away from the conflict. She was safe, at least. "I have more important things to do than you."
She scowled at him. "More important than me? I think you're being a coward! Come on, fight." She jumped in and moved to rake his chest, but he swatted her hand away and grabbed her by the wrist. He shoved her roughly against a nearby tree and pinned her to it. "Now that's more like it. Come on, show everyone what you're made of."
Silver became all the more conflicted. She wanted to fight, but she also wanted to lose. She wanted to be fucked by something worth losing to. Was she in whatever jackals called heat? His horse cock became stiff, rising up powerfully from his groin as the thought of fucking the Anubian became more appealing, but she hadn't put up much of a fight for him, and he didn't like her attitude.
He turned from her and walked away, ignoring her demands for a 'real' fight. She wouldn't get a rematch, and she eventually gave up trying to get one.
The scrawny one crept back over as he explored the village. He didn't know she was there until a soft set of furry fingers wrapped around him from behind and began stroking him shamelessly. "I don't want to fight you."
Silver grunted with pleasure as he became fully erect quickly even as he turned to face her. "What do you want?" He sniffed, but it seemed having less of a snout meant less smell, and he couldn't tell what signals she was sending that way.
She dropped to her knees. "I just want a worthy mate, and a kind one, horse warrior. You're nice, and good, not at all like so many of the others. I don't want to fight."
Silver felt torn. He wanted to accept the female, and protect her, but he didn't want another mate. He reached for her head and softly pet her as he kept her from moving in on his stiffness. "You can come with me. There are many pony studs willing to become friends, and eventually more, if you want a nice mate. I won't be that one."
She looked hesitant, but hopeful. "Really? They won't... They won't be upset that I'm not a pony? Like you are..."
Silver snorted softly. "You being a jackal is not bothering me. I have too many mates already."
This seemed to make sense to her and she looked understanding. "A powerful horse warrior, of course you do. I'm sorry..."
Silver reached for her shoulders and lifted her up to her feet. "Stop being sorry. You couldn't have known. Now help me. I want to learn more about this village. For now, you can be my guide, and maybe friend? But we're not breeding."
She bowed before him lightly. "As you wish it, great horse warrior. I am just Mert, and I will help you."
Silver smiled at Mert. "Good. To start, where are my things? I want my saddlebag and everything in it." Even if he wasn't sure how he'd wear it in his current form. How did he turn back? "And tell me why everyone's happy now. I lost the fight with the shaman, Nefertari."
Mert perked an ear. "She emerged with your seed dripping from her and announced that you'd filled her belly with cubs despite her best attempt to subdue you, and proclaimed you a true warrior. Was she lying?"
Silver flinched. Things were going to get more complicated.