Daring Do and the Legend of the Jade Empress

Chapters

Chapter 1: The Latest Discovery
Chapter 2: Too Chicken to Be Egg-cellent
Chapter 4: Monkeying Around In The Jade Jungle, Part 2
Chapter 3: Monkeying Around In The Jade Jungle, Part 1

Chapter 1: The Latest Discovery

It was the news of the century. Daring Do, famous adventurer and archaeologist, had made another breakthrough discovery. Just when it seemed like her career was reaching a plateau, she had uncovered the ancient and fabled Kingdom of Jade. No one ever thought it could actually exist, let alone be found hidden underground, but after months of digging, it was found.

The contents of the ancient capital were vast. Houses of ornate decorum, decorations venerating the Jade Empress, and oddest of all, jade statues of mares in various poses. Some locked in fighting positions, some in terror, some with smiles on their faces, but all of them seemingly frozen in motion.

The palace had trinkets and items as well. Many items of royal affair, from scepters to crowns, to dresses of green silk, all of these were adorned with the symbol of a circle with horns on either side that intertwined above it.

The magnum opus of it all was what they found within the throne room: a statue of jade and gold of what looked to be the Jade Empress herself, a twin-horned mare clashing with a golden mare with the features of a cat wielding a staff. The visage cut one of a tragic victory, with the two becoming frozen in time for all eternity.

With the help of the Canterlot Archeological Society and League of Adventurers, Daring had helped move everything to the Equestrian Museum of Myth & History for study and eventually for display. Before it could be on public display, Daring requested that the Element Bearers and Princesses come to observe her discoveries. She was very proud of finding what she had and believed it to be the height of her career. Perhaps it was the point where she could comfortably retire, even if she wasn’t at retiring age just yet. Thoughts for later, was what she told herself when the question popped up in her head.

As she read through the translated journal found within the palace, she took careful notes. There were things she didn’t know that were still confusing her. Why jade? Why was the cat mare gold? She ran a hand through her hair as she kicked her feet onto her desk. There had to be something in here that could make some semblance of sense.

“Hey there, bestie!”

Daring would have fallen out of her chair and onto the ground had she not been caught by a blur of blue and rainbow. Looking up, she saw Rainbow Dash, one of her close friends, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes as she stood up.

“It’s called knocking, Dash.”

“Hey, c’mon! We’re pals, right? You could walk into my room if you wanted!”

“Oh yeah?” Daring raised an eyebrow. “Even if you were in the middle of private time with that body pillow I know you have?”

Dash opened her mouth to counter but kept her mouth shut, her cheeks bright pink. The archaeologist chuckled and hugged her. “Good to see you too. Are the others here?”

“Yeah, we had a little bit of a snag, though,” Rainbow replied as she began walking to the door. “We had to bring two extras with us to keep an eye on them. There was an incident that happened a week ago…”

Daring raised an eyebrow. “Incident?”

Dash laughed a bit. “Let’s just say it involved a lot of whipped cream, peanut butter crackers, and a bad teleport.”

Daring blinked. She had suddenly discovered the greatest forbidden knowledge that she had no desire of learning. As they exited Daring’s temporary study, she found the group marveling at the many discoveries she had found.

“Wow, Moondancer!” Princess Twilight exclaimed. “I can’t believe you got to be the Canterlot Museum of Myth & History’s curator! I’m kind of jealous!”

“Oh really?” Moondancer smirked with an eyebrow raised. “Miss Princess of Friendship is jealous of me? I’m flattered~”

Twilight pouted. “Moony, you know how much I’ve wanted to have a job like that! And now you get that life!”

“Hehe, I know, I know…” Moondancer nodded and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “But you have a great life. Don’t sell yourself short.”

As the two talked, Applejack inspected each one of the jade statues that had been brought in. “That there is weird…” She said as she looked into the eyes of the sheep before looking at Zecora. “They got the detail down mighty good, how are they in this good a’ shape?”

“I must agree,” Rarity spoke up as she looked at the scales on the snake. “Every minute detail… It must have taken months to get such a statue made in such a way!”

“The secrets of the empire are hidden quite well,” Zecora said as she looked at the one of a very tall horse. “But we must all wait for what the journal will tell.”

“Journal?” Applejack raised an eyebrow and looked around. “Ah didn’t see no journal around here.”

“The journal that I speak of is with Ms. Do, but a copy was made…” She pulled out a freshly bound leather book from her satchel. “So now we have two.” She opened the pages and revealed the truth about each of the animals and their symbolism. “Each statue had a temple, a purpose and meaning, and celebrations often meant the statue’s convening. United, they gave the Empress great power, until she was struck down in her final hour.”

She pointed to the last statue of the Empress with the gold statue of the cat pony. Applejack only nodded and responded. “Ah think ah get it… But then why is that gal all gold?”

“Indeed! Green and gold can be quite a clashing color set!” She grimaced a bit at the sight of the two opponents literally clashing with each other.

Zecora chuckled and walked towards the statues. “We believe the only means to defeat the magic of jade, was through the use of gold and the magic it had made.” She pulled out a bit and clinked it against the jade, both the coin and the jade resonating and glowing from it. The two were amazed and clapped at the minor spectacle.

While those three talked, Trixie had been pouring over some of the texts of the Jade Court, fascination in her eyes. Starlight, an eye raised, walked over to her marefriend. “Wow, Trixie. I don’t think I’ve seen you study this much.”

Trixie gave a haughty chuckle and turned to Starlight. “Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie is not just some one-trick pony. I’ve heard that as part of the Court, the Empress had magicians who performed many tricks. And now I get to read about them! Maybe I can add a few to my act!”

Starlight chuckled and leaned into the old text. “You never cease to surprise me…”

Trixie wasn’t the only one pouring through the text of the past, though. Pinkie had found a bunch of recipes that she hadn’t seen before and was taking vigorous notes with a notepad and pencil pulled from her mane. Fluttershy watched her, amazed that she could be so studious. “A-Anything good?”

“Hmm?” Pinkie looked up before smiling. “Oh yeah! Some special small cakes that sound suuuuper tasty! I can’t wait to try them!”

“W-Well, if you do, c-can you maybe… Keep me out of it please?” Fluttershy rubbed her arm. “Last time we taste tested, I ended up needing to buy new pants and dresses…”

“Oh come on!” Pinkie giggled and patted Fluttershy’s ass. “You know there’s nothing wrong with more cushion for the pushin’~”

“M-Maybe for you…” Fluttershy muttered as she blushed harder. “You don’t get anxious when so many people stare at your… B-B-Butt when it gets big…”

“Oh, like you don’t secretly looove it~” Pinkie giggled and leaned into Fluttershy, who avoided eye contact and instead focused on the princesses.

The royals were talking with Moondancer as they inspected the exhibits. Celestia smiled softly at the geeky mare in professional clothing. “Well, Ms. Moondancer, how are you enjoying your new position? Is everything to your liking?”

“O-Oh, yes Princess!” Moondancer bowed her head gratefully, her hands fiddling with each other out of anxiety. “I-It was a lot to take me, but you know me! Always studying and talking about what I learned and-!”

Luna approached and put a hand on Moondancer’s shoulder. “My dear, you do not need to worry. I understand that social interactions may be difficult for someone such as yourself. However, I know that this place is best suited for you, especially given what Twilight has said about you.”

Moondancer stared at the nightly princess in surprise. “P-Princess Luna…”

Cadence stepped in with a smile. “Besides, if you ever feel like you’re going to panic, just try this…” She held her hand to her chest and took a deep breath, then held her hand out as she breathed slowly.

As Moondancer mimicked the technique, Twilight smiled in pride. The mare she had let down before she decided to carry on with friendship was now becoming much more capable and social. She was proud of her and was glad that she could keep helping others.

While all of this occurred, Daring as AK Yearling was still going over the notes within the journal. She flipped through the pages and scratched her head with a sigh. There was something that had been causing her many restless nights, a series of indecipherable lines whose unknown meaning pushed her to delay the exhibit. Today was the final day, however, and if she couldn’t uncover it, then the exhibit would have to be presented as is.

“Hey, best buddy!”

Rainbow Dash’s speedy belligerence snapped the disguised Daring from her studying, nearly making her drop the text. “R-Rainbow! What did I tell you about doing that when I have an artifact in my hand??”

“Hehehe, sorry.” Rainbow threw an arm around Yearling, looking down at the ancient texts. “Watcha got there? Some kinda ancient prophecy?”

“What? No…” Yearling rolled her eyes as she inspected the jade parchment. “I mean, probably? I don’t fully know. I found this warning as we were extracting everything, and the writing is… Different from everything. The only thing I can understand is the words ‘Warning’ and ‘Seal’.”

“Uhuh…” Rainbow nodded along, looking at the gold writing on the page as if she understood what was on the page. “I see… Well, why is it such a big deal? I mean, nothing happened when you took it all out, right?”

“Well, no…” Yearling looked away, adjusting her glasses. “But, if there’s some kind of curse, I want to translate it so that we can make sure it doesn’t get activated. This is my last day to uncover it all.”

“Oh, huh…” She scratched her head. “Well, that makes sense… But, I mean, if you keep it all behind glass, wouldn’t it be just fine? No curses can get activated if you lock it all up, right?”

“I mean, I suppose…” Yearling muttered unsure of herself. She was told that by the museum owners as well, and despite her pleading, she couldn’t get another extension. Something was wrong, and no matter what anypony told her, she couldn’t let it go.

“See? Don’t worry about it! Come on and hang out with us!” She patted Yearling on the back, and the author smiled a bit in kind. She walked with Rainbow before looking towards the statue of the Golden Cat and Jade Empress.

“Hang on, Dash. Just… One last thing.” She walked towards the statue and gazed at the detail. The Empress’s gaze was wrathful as if she was still trying to destroy the catlike mare, while the Cat’s serious expression seemed more at peace. She seemed to accept her fate, whatever that was. The mix of jade and gold seemed so organic, like waves of force were moving in both materials in ways no artist could make.

I guess that is something to be admired, she thought as she set the warning down at the base of the statue. Old techniques and cultures long since gone, things we never got to learn… She sighed and adjusted her glasses. A moment passed through her as she wondered how long she’d be doing this. She didn’t even have a successor when she did retire. She was so focused on the now, she didn’t think about what tomorrow would be for her work. And as she contemplated these things, she didn’t notice cracks forming in the statue…

BOOM!!!

The force sent Yearling flying back. She just barely managed to catch her balance with fancy footwork and spreading her wings. When she got stable, she looked up in shock. Standing before her, stretching in an elegant and ornate green dress, was the Jade Empress. No longer encased in that gem, she smiled in bliss as her hands rubbed over her curvy body.

“Mmmm… What a wonderful feeling it is, to be free of that prison. I feel a thousand years young again…” She chuckled and looked at the author. “Thank you very much, dear… What you lack in the stunning beauty I behold, you make up for in foolishness.”

Yearling stammered a bit as she backed away. She was normally far braver than that, but the sheer aura emitted made her feel… Unworthy. As if something grabbed her heart to stop its beating, she remained frozen. The Empress simply turned to the golden warrior and scowled. “And you… It seems your little trick almost worked. We could have spent an eternity posing in such a way. Not that I wouldn’t have minded, had I actually had you on your knees where you belong…”

The Golden Cat responded with a swing of her staff, only for the Empress to block each swing with her own. Soon, the rest of the mares ran in and were immediately caught off guard by the presence of what were once statues.

“W-What in Equestria??” Applejack shouted in confusion.

“They… Were real…?” Rarity stared in a mixture of shock and awe of the Empress’s divine beauty.

Rainbow’s wings spread wide as she assumed a crouching stance. “Don’t just stand there! Dog pile!” She rushed the Empress with a kick prepared, only to be swatted away.

“Rainbow!” Twilight shouted as a few of the unicorns and Princesses fired their magic. Again, it was blocked and absorbed into the staff of the Empress, who smiled as she glowed.

“Mmmm, that’s much better,” the Jade Empress muttered. She wiggled her fingers as magic coursed through it, then counted the ponies. “Hmmm… It appears that there are just enough. More even. Wonderful.” She slammed her staff onto the ground, and the eyes of the twelve jade statues glowed brightly. Each of the animal spirits flew off in different directions, and no matter how hard they tried, no one could contain them for long. Soon, each of the spirits flew into one of the mares. First Trixie, then Applejack. Celestia held her own before getting flanked and taken, then Fluttershy. One by one, each pony collapsed on the ground, glowing green. The only ones spared were Starlight, Yearling, and the Golden Cat.

“Excellent!” The royal clapped her hands. “Soon enough, you all will become my perfect champions! As for you two…” She looked to Starlight and Yearling. “If you assist me in containing that golden vermin, I will ensure you wonderous positions in my court. Anything you could desire will be at your fingertips, so long as you swear fealty to me.”

Yearling’s resolve finally returned to her, and she quickly threw off her civilian clothing to reveal her true identity as Daring Do. “Never… I won’t bow to you!” She gripped her fist.

“Neither will I!” Starlight shouted, stomping her foot. “I’d never obey someone who would hurt the ponies I care about!”

“Hmph… So be it.” She waved a hand. “Although, your compliance isn’t really a factor.” She smirked and held out a hand. “Once I take care of her…” She pointed to the exhausted Golden Cat. “I will ensure that you both will beg to join me.”

Daring acted first, throwing herself in between the two and using herself as a human shield. She braced for the impact of whatever spell was coming for her…

And the spell never came.

She was suddenly hit by a cool breeze and a sulfurous stench in her nose. The ground seemed rougher, and a nearby voice snapped her out of it.

“Daring Do??”

Daring’s eyes snapped open. She was no longer in Canterlot Castle, but in the volcanic home of the Dragonlands. Standing before her was a young purple dragon that she recalled being the assistant of Princess Twilight. She took a breath and adjusted her hat.

“Y-Yeah. You’re… Spike, correct?” She nodded to him.

Spike nodded before looking at the golden catmare trying to stand. “Is she okay?? She looks beat!”

Just then, the feeling of a magical boom occurred, shaking the ground before them. Dragons looked around in shock as a wave attempted to hit him, but died out as it reached their lands. Dragon Lord Ember flew up and looked out at the land to see what had caused it. All she saw was a noticeable green fog resting in the direction of Manehattan.

Daring flew up and noticed it as well. She didn’t need special eyes to guess what that was. Equestria had fallen under the sway of the Jade Empress, and it was her fault.

“No… I don’t think any of us are alright…”

Author's Note

So, this is the start to this story. If you like it, let me know and I'll occasionally post these. Again, sorry no other stuff at the moment, but I wanted to try another story, a weird adventure idea that was rolling around in my head. Love it or hate it, let me know, but genuinely, thank you for taking the time to read this.

Chapter 2: Too Chicken to Be Egg-cellent

Author's Note

WARNING

THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS: SLIGHT WEIGHT GAIN, CHICKEN GIRL TF, FUTA ROOSTER, SLIGHT MIND CONTROL, AND GETTING HIT WITH EGGS.

I don't know if that last one is related to fetishes, but it happens. Anyways. Finals went well. Burnt out. Whatever happens happens. I'm tired. By the way, on an unrelated note, Dandadan is getting an anime adaptation. It's one of my favorite mangas. The trailer music is funky. Read it.

What was I saying? Oh yeah. Hope you enjoy in the chapter.

Chapter 2: Too Chicken to Be Egg-cellent

Daring scanned the map from a hidden pouch in her pants over and over. She was desperately trying to figure out the best route back into Equestria. A few dragon scouts flew towards Manehattan, despite the Golden Cat’s warning, and hadn’t been heard from since. Said catmare was currently meditating. She had been doing nothing but eating small meals and meditating since she had arrived. Daring tried to talk with her about what was going on, who she or the Empress was, or what the plan was, but she was ignored. So, they kept their distance apart. It wasn’t long for the mythical warrior’s shine to return, her wounds seemingly healed after a week of food and meditation. She looked up at the sky. The sun and moon were still moving. That's good, right? She thought. That means Luna and Celestia are still in control...?

Ember walked over to Daring, holding some uncooked hay and oats. “Sorry that this is all we got in terms of pony food. We’re not really prepared for fancy guests.”

Daring shook her head, nibbling on them. “It’s fine. This is more than enough for me to patch myself up. I didn’t get hurt that badly, thank goodness.” She looked at her lightly bandaged body, most of it being slight cuts, bruises, and a minor sprain that healed up with enough rest. “Have… You been talking with her?”

Ember looked at the catmare and tilted her head. “Kinda. She hasn’t talked to anyone but me, probably ‘cause she sees my authority. She said those bozos probably got kidnapped by some jade empress…?” Ember shook her head in slight frustration. “Okay, level with me. Who is she, and what’s going on?”

Daring sighed as she rubbed her head. “The Golden Cat… She’s one of the ancient warriors BEFORE Equestria was a thing. Heck, before the original elements, some say before Tirek. She fought an evil empress who controlled many aspects with the power of jade and had 12 Jade Animals subservient to her, all of whom helped control her subjects. She defeated the 12 animals, then they fought each other, which led to the two being frozen and sinking the whole city underground.”

“Woah…” Ember watched the Golden Cat sit there when a thought jolted through her mind. “Wait… If she’s out, then that empress…”

Daring looked down in shame. “It… It was my fault. I was reading through the text, trying to decipher everything, but there was something about a warning and a seal. It turns out, I might have accidentally undone the seal on them.”

The dragon queen looked back at the mare ready to dig into her, but the look on Daring’s face showed that wasn’t necessary. She awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder. “H-Hey, ummm…” She cleared her throat and slapped herself. “Listen. You screwed up. I’m not gonna deny that. But you have a chance at fixing it. Equestria needs your help, so go out and help. We’ll watch over Spike in the meantime. After all, if the fog hadn’t gotten here yet, it’s not coming any time soon.”

Despite Ember’s tough, yet kind words, Daring Do was still hesitant to talk to Golden Cat. However, as she saw the warrior stand and start walking away, she spoke up.

“Let me come with-!”

“No.”

Daring flinched at how firm the Golden Cat was but held her ground. “Listen to me. I am truly sorry for what I’ve done! I did not know what you said was a warning, but I should’ve been more careful!”

Golden Cat looked back with a sharp, borderline furious gaze. “Wonderful to hear. The answer is still no.”

The Golden Cat kept walking, but this time, Daring simply walked behind her from a distance. There was a good few feet apart from them, but after a while, the warrior swung her staff around, missing the treasure hunter by inches.

“Not another step forward. I will put you down permanently.”

Daring flinched for a split second, but huffed and glared right back. “Do you even know where you’re going??? Do you have any idea where any of these mares might be??”

There was a quiet pause between the two, neither breaking their stare.

“I do not need to know. I can sense the presence of the Jade Champions. I simply need to follow their traces.”

“Yeah, and what are you going to do if your senses lead you to an ocean?? You don’t even know the shortcuts through the mountains, or what lies between you and them!!” There was another pause, Daring clenching her fists. “Listen, if you do not trust me to help you fight, that’s fine. Let me at least help you as a guide! The quicker you defeat those Jade Champions, the quicker you save everypony, right?”

Daring could see the grip of the mare tighten as her stare intensified. No matter what, Daring had a point. She was going to be wandering blindly without her, and more time wasted meant more time for the Champions to grow in power. With few options, she sighed and lowered her weapon.

“Very well. However, interfere and get hurt, and I will ensure that I leave you behind.”

Daring nodded. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle myself.”

The Golden Cat turned to leave, then paused. “One last thing. This will be essential.” She turned her head towards her. “Do you have any gold?”

“Gold?” She patted her short shorts and shirt, realizing that she had left her bits at the museum. Suddenly, she felt a lump in her pocket, pulled out two bits, and flipped one of the coins to the Golden Cat. The catmare looked down, surprised.

“You use them as money…” She muttered to herself. A smirk spread on her face as she turned back and pointed in the direction she was heading. “There. That’s the location of the first one. It’s actually close, which is concerning for the dragons.”

Daring looked, and her eyes widened. She made a quick check of the map to confirm. The Champion was in the mountains of Griffonstone.

~~~

Daring flew from ledge to ledge, taking brief moments to catch her breath. The altitude and the wind speed were high at this level, and if she flew too much, she could get dizzy and crash. As such, she made short stops from time to time in order to catch her breath.

Whenever she looked around, she found that the Golden Cat was not burdened by these things. She hopped from stone to stone, grabbing onto any rock before leaping to the next with ease. Daring couldn’t help but be impressed at the skill of doing that while wearing golden armor.

As the duo managed to get onto a set of roads, they noticed the ground beginning to be set with a thick, green fog. The less experienced of the two was careful with her footing, but the Golden Cat shook her head. “It’s fine. The fog doesn’t inherently cause any effect, save for boosting the powers of the Jade Champions. However, it can also be obscuring without some sort of help.”

“Help?”

The catmare looked back, pointing to her own golden eyes before continuing up the mountain. “Just a bit further. I believe I see something in the distance. A giant tree of some kind.”

Daring nodded. “Griffonstone, also known as the Griffon Kingdom. It had been undergoing some repairs after the loss of their fabled artifact.”

“The Griffons established a kingdom?” The Golden Cat muttered softly to herself. She shook her head, walking closer and closer. “Doesn’t seem like much of a kingdom, really. Just a bunch of homes in disrepair.”

“Yes… Like I said, after they lost an artifact, they ended up devolving into squalor. We were actually close to establishing caravans to help rebuild some of the destroyed homes. However…” She looked away, not wanting to reveal her mistake being the reason why the caravans aren’t here yet.

Picking up on it, her companion simply nodded and continued to walk forward. Daring couldn’t help but feel ashamed at how her mistake led to all of this. Still, she steeled herself as they soon reached the outskirts. Once there, however, Cat turned and stopped Daring Do.

“You stay here and stay hidden. The fog is dense, and I do not believe that the Champion is alone. I will not have you interfere.”

Daring looked down, her confidence too shattered to oppose before hiding among the large rocks. She watched as Cat vanished in the fog, gripping the other bit in her hand.

The Golden Cat walked down the streets, seeing shadows shifting in the fog. Her eyes glowed brightly as she caught a glimpse of her surroundings. The half-repaired homes had been shifted to resemble large chicken coops, inside each one was a nest full of green, glowing eggs. She could feel the warmth from a distance, along with a tugging at her body as if something wanted her to touch the eggs. She resisted, for it was not those that she was most concerned about.

She got a look at one of the figures, and sure enough, her fears were confirmed. She was looking at a jade green chicken girl, hips wide and breasts large and fluffy. The sultry-looking avian aimlessly clucked as she wandered, shaking her big tail feathers and tits at anyone she saw.

“Wonderful…” the Golden Cat muttered. “As much as I’d like to be exposed to your fat feather butt all day, I’ve got to-”

“BUKAWWWWK!”

FWOOOMPH!

Cat caught the sight of a projectile flying out of the chicken’s tailhole and just barely managed to dodge out of the way. She saw that what came out was a jade egg, which cracked and spilled its shiny green contents on the ground. Before she could rush and stop this hen, it turned around and suddenly let out a loud crow which sent the catmare flying back.

“Shoot, not now…” She looked around as she saw the other chicken girls popping out of hen houses and behind rocks to strut over, launching out jade eggs which the catmare quickly dodged. She had no intention of getting hit any time soon. She would rush in, smack around a couple of chicken girls, and then continue her endless dodging. Unfortunately for her, this was not the hardest part of her trip.

A much louder crowing caused everything in Griffonstone to freeze up. All of the conscious hen girls stood at attention, saluting with feathery wing arms as a rooster girl easily triple the size in both height, breast size, and hips of the others stood tall over her golden opponent with a smirk. Her cock swung freely as she mockingly spoke out. “So, the sore loser has come to try and take me on!”

“Hey, better to not be invited than to lose to Rat.”

The Jade Rooster’s eyes flashed with anger. “Oh, you think you’re funny, huh? Well, you won’t be laughing when you find out how much better I’ve gotten.”

“Please. I resisted your influence once, I can resist it agai-!”

The rooster girl reeled back, taking a deep breath before she unleashed a powerful crow that rang out. Even Daring, who quickly ducked behind the rocks, could feel it vibrate in her soul. It was powerful, intimidating, and yet… It compelled her to listen. Only the shimmering of the golden coin in her hand prevented her from falling fully and after focusing on it, she felt her mind slowly come back to her with some breathing.

Cat, however, who took the brunt of it full force, smirked and crossed her arms. “Wow. Very scary. Now, why don’t you kneel over so I can shove my staff up your-Bawk!”

She covered her mouth with wide eyes. She… She didn’t just do that… Right? She slowly removed her hand from her snout, but as she opened her mouth, she pushed her head forward. “Buk buk bu-cawk!”

Her golden eyes slowly shifted to a jade green as she dropped her staff, kicked towards the Jade Rooster by one of the hens. She made her arms like wings and began to flap them around, clucking all the while. She scratched at the floor, and the other hens, delighted to see a new addition, clucked and scratched with her.

“Kn-Knock it off, you bird b-bawk bawk!” She flapped her arms, trying her best to resist only to suddenly be pulled back as she was pelted with jade eggs and covered in the shiny green goo. She walked around like the rest as the goo absorbed into her body, jade feathers slowly starting to replace golden fur. trying to get to her staff. When she got close and tried to move her hand away, Rooster held out a feather-hand full of green corn and seeds.

“I-Is that…?”

“Food~ You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Rooster teased as she waved the dried seeds in her face. “Just give a little bite. How long were you a silly statue… You could have just a little…” She leaned into her ear and whispered. “Peck.”

Cat shivered and clucked, her head leaning down very slowly as she did her best to resist. “N-No… I-I’m a cat… I-I eat fish and drink milk… I won’t… Eat… The yummy… Green… BAWK!”

She took one peck at the feather hand of the Rooster, and the moment she got a taste, her eyes widened. She’d been subjected to this green chicken feed in the past, but she was able to withstand a few bites. This was nothing like it. Her eyes would widen as she involuntarily pecked again and then again. Before long, the feed was gone, and the Rooster began sprinkling a trail on the ground for the brainwashed Cat to follow. Helpess to disobey, she pecked her way into the ruins of the castle. Every single bit she got served to slowly thicken her body, her armor stretching and falling off revealing her tight, lithe body developed much larger breasts, her belly became chubby and plush, and her thighs and ass especially became a wide set that jiggled as she clucked and moved about. She continued to be pelted with eggs, her body morphing as she began to look more and more like a hen. By the time she got to the throne room, all that remained of Cat was a few tufts of golden fur.

Smiling at her work, Jade Rooster presented her cock to the transformed catmare. “Now, then. What do you have to say about this~?”

“Bawk bawk… Buuuhck you…” She did her best to hold on, but her eyes staying transfixed on the cock showed the Jade Champion that she’d basically won.

“So rude… Just for that, I’m not going to fuck you.” The sight of Cat’s eyes widening made her smirk. “That is, unless you bend over and beg…”

Cat gulped nervously, her mind pushing her to resist. I don’t need it… I-I don’t need it… I definitely don’t need it… I don’t need it… I don’t need it…

Finally snapping, she turned around and bent over, shaking her chicken butt at the futa rooster. “Bukawwwk~ Please, Mistress! Please faaawk me! I wanna feel your biiig caaawk!”

With a grin of victory, Rooster grabbed the hips of the mare and impaled her on her cock. Clucking in pure bliss, she felt herself getting bounced on the cock over and over, the rooster futa crowing in triumph as she made the cat warrior into her fucktoy. She fully planned on keeping her as a pet, savoring those clucks of pleasure.

Cat’s mind was quickly being taken over by the jade cock inside her, her mind struggling as she tried to find a way out. Her armor was off, her staff was outside, and she had no control of her body. Her only saving grace, the coin, was still in the pocket of the armor, meaning she was going to have to live as another dumb hen, clucking hen. It almost didn’t seem as bad, but just as she was about to give up, her eyes caught a golden glimmer in the shadows…

Suddenly, the glimmer flew right toward her and Cat could see that it was one of the golden coins. In the shadows, she caught the all-too-familiar sight of a very familiar hat…

Her feathered wing caught the coin, blinding Rooster in a flash of golden light which made her crow out in pain. She could feel her cock getting gripped tight which forced her to pull out, lest she get trapped. She lost her footing and fell onto her back, desperate to get away from the golden light. When the glow died, she saw the naked form of the Golden Cat, right back to normal and standing over the Jade Rooster with a pissed-off expression.

Even still, Rooster tried to keep her cocky smirk and pointed to Cat. “Y-You think you’ve won?? You have nothing! No armor, no weapon! I’ll just turn you back-!”

Suddenly, the staff flew from the shadows and Cat caught it with no trouble.

Realizing the position she was in, Rooster leaned her head back to crow, only to have her throat smacked by the staff. “You’ve run your beak quite enough… Extend, Ye-Au!”

The staff extended to the ceiling of the chambers, then turned back to its normal size as Cat flew straight down. She brought her staff down towards the choking chicken, and with it, came a battle cry.

“Final Strike: Jade Smashing Axe Chop!!!”

The hit landed right on the head of Rooster, creating a shockwave powerful enough to blow the jade fog out of Griffonstone. The cracks formed around the strike, and each of the hens crowed in agony as they began to glow and crack. Soon, the sound of shattering filled Griffonstone as the jade flew off their bodies, and in their place was a griffon who collapsed on the ground as if fast asleep.

Rooster too, would meet this fate, as her large jade body broke to pieces and fell off. As the jade spilled, they found just what was inside: the sleeping form of the museum curator, Moondancer. Daring gasped in shock, but Cat, looking exhausted, fell to the ground and laughed.

“That was… Something…”

Daring looked at her, surprised. “Y-Yeah, I guess it was.”

“Rooster…” She leaned in and hugged a knee. “She’s way stronger. She was never able to turn me before…”

The adventurer looked confused. “This… Wasn’t supposed to happen?”

“No… Something gave them a big boost. A very big boost. I might actually have a fight on my hands…” Despite that, Cat couldn’t help but give a Cheshire grin. She was very much pumped for what was to come.

~~~

In the new palace of the Jade Empress, she looked down at a green orb with a satisfied smirk. The power boost had been working as intended. Even if Rooster couldn’t keep the Golden Cat down, she had converted them. She now had to focus on keeping those two separated long enough to make that stick.

“Not a problem,” She waved a hand away. “She is just one pegasus. I can very easily keep her out of the race… Just as we had done to you, Cat…”

Her eyes focused on the Golden Cat, her grip tightening on the armrests of her throne. “You will join the others and serve me, you feline fool… Whether you want to or not…”

Chapter 4: Monkeying Around In The Jade Jungle, Part 2

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Chapter 3: Monkeying Around In The Jade Jungle, Part 1

“Uhhhh, Golden Cat… What is going on…?”

The duo watched as the recovered griffons bowed before the warrior, crying out praises.

“The Father of Griffons has returned!”

“And she’s saved us from the evils of the Jade Rooster!”

“Praise to the Cat!!!”

The Golden Cat looked away awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah… That’s… Complicated.”

“You!”

“You!” One of the griffons stomped over, gripping her claws tight as she pointed to her. “Bow to the Cat! Show some respect!!”

“W-What??” Daring Do looked confused, darting between this griffon and her companion. “What is going on???”

“Child,” Cat spoke with her arms crossed. “What is your name?”

The griffon smirked and bowed on one knee before her. “Name’s Gilda. It is truly wonderful to be before Your Glistening Beauty, Father of Griffons.”

“At ease,” Cat helped out a hand, prompting Gilda to stand. “Share with this pony the story of the First Griffon’s Birth, if you can recall. I’ve come to understand that history isn’t quite as shared here as I anticipated.”

“Ah, right. Let me see… Gramps told me this story easily…” Gilda scratched her head in thought. “If I recall… Long ago, there was an ancient kingdom in the heavens, from which many Celestial nobles were involved. One of them was the Golden Cat. If I remember… The Empress of Heaven had a daughter, the Phoenix Princess, and the Golden Cat courted her. When the Empress found out, he cast the Cat from the heavens onto the Earth. However, the Princess had already laid an egg, so the Empress cast it down as well. The Golden Cat caught it, and from it sprang the first Griffons… And the Golden Cat is why we covet the gold of bits so much. Am I right on this?”

The Golden Cat tilted her head, looking up at the sky. “More or less…”

“So…” The mare looked down at the ground. “This legend is true?”

“Well, are you gonna question it?? She’s right in front of you!”

“I… I suppose you’re right…” Daring sighed, feeling like there were so many legends she didn’t know about. She couldn’t translate that book nearly as well as she wanted to.

Golden Cat wasted little time, looking over at Gilda. “Child Gilda. I am in need of some gold for my journey. It is the only way that I’ll be able to recover from this newly acquired strength the Empress brought upon the land.”

Gilda didn’t hesitate, bowing before running off to gather any bits that she could. Daring looked at just how easily Golden Cat commanded a room with her presence. It felt like she had way more to learn about this mysterious figure.

“O-Our bits!”

“Someone’s stolen our bits!”

“I bet it was that Rooster!”

“Find her and kill her!”

Golden Cat sighed. She figured something like this would happen, and raised his staff high in the air before bringing it down. The sound caught the attention of the crowd, who watched the warrior in awe.

“It was not the Rooster that had stolen these… Bits. Not directly. It appears that the Empress’s power has indeed grown stronger, and she’s taking anything gold to take power away from me. If you cannot find bits, blame me.”

However, the griffons refused to cast the blame, so they resorted to revering and bowing before Cat in understanding. All except Gilda.

“Hmmm?” Cat asked. “Something the matter?”

“I… I really…” She eventually sighed and motioned Cat to follow. She did, and they would be led to a scone cart. Gilda slid a claw into a hole, fiddled it around, then pushed up, revealing a small box. She opened it to reveal a small pouch of bits.

“I was saving this for a proper house, but…” Gilda sighed as she handed the bits over. “You’re gonna need them more. No point in a house if everyone’s a brainwashed slave.”

Golden Cat took the pouch and handed it off to Daring. “Here. Store these somewhere safe.”

“R-Right!” Daring nodded, going off to grab a bag to carry them in.

“And you.” Cat turned to Gilda, who stood stiff in surprise as the Father of Griffons bowed to her. “I thank you for giving your wealth to me. May good fortune come to you.”

Gilda’s wings fluttered in excitement, even as she crossed her arms and looked away to hide her blush. “W-Well, it’s whatever, you know…”

Daring quickly ran back with a pack. “I’m back! And the griffons were kind enough to give us a little food for the road!”

“Excellent,” Cat nodded as she pointed in the general direction to the north. “Let’s move. I sense our next target is in this direction.”

“Wait!” Daring took Cat’s arm, stopping the warrior in her tracks. She then pointed to the unconscious body of Moondancer. “What about her? We can’t just leave her here?”

“Why not?” Cat responded flatly. “The Griffons can keep watch of her now that the area has been cleansed. Besides, if she goes out, she might succumb to another champion.”

“Maybe, but I overheard some of the Griffons talking about their lost bits, and they’re not blaming the Champion…” She looked back at the unconscious Moondancer. “I’m afraid what leaving her here will lead to, even if you told them not to.”

Cat shook her head. “Bringing her will weigh us down. If we waste time, we’ll never reach the other champions before their spirits fuze with the others.”

“Wait, wha-?”

“Why do you think I’m trying to move quickly instead of bickering like this?? It will be fine if we leave her, better than if we waste time which we’re currently doing!!”

Without another word, Cat ran north, leaving Daring in the dust and left to ponder whether Cat was in the right. She pulled out her map and made a quick judgment before realizing something.

“That’s it!”

~~~

Cat rushed ahead down the road, trying to make up the distance she normally would’ve gotten to alone. Of course, it wasn’t until she was at the halfway point to what would be the next champion that she realized that she had no coins. She growled in frustration and scratched at the dusty ground before finally faceplanting into it.

Why must I be shackled to such a burden…? She thought, looking up from the dirt. She would bring everypony with her like that would save them… Accusing my children of being gold-greedy fools who’d disobey their elders…

Still, she couldn’t help but notice the energy in the air of that place. This hostility buried by reverence. It was like they were expecting her to announce a charge on the next battle. Gearing for a fight…

“There you are!”

The sound of Daring Do’s voice caused Cat’s head to snap up, her ears twitching. Sure enough, there was Daring, flying overhead with both the bag and the barely conscious mare on her back. Her eyes squinted.

“How did you catch up so quickly?”

“Being a pegasus has its perks, plus I try to keep in shape. Moreover, she started waking up.”

“Nnnngh…” Moondancer groaned as Daring laid her own the road. She rubbed her eyes and then started grabbing the ground around her for something, only to grab a hold of Cat’s armored chest. Despite not grabbing flesh, it still prompted a hiss which snapped Moondancer awake.

“W-What? Huh? What’s going on?? Where are my glasses?? Can’t… See a thing!”

“Ahhh… Oh!” Daring snapped her fingers and searched the bag, pulling out a pair of glasses she found near Moondancer. “Here. I think these are yours.”

“Th-Thanks…” Moondancer muttered as she slipped them on. “N-Now can you tell… Tell…”

The unicorn paused as she saw Daring Do standing over her, her eyes wide in shock. “D-D-Daring Do?? What… What’s going on? where are we?”

She looked around the forest, then turned to her right to see the fabled warrior, the Golden Cat sitting beside her with an unamused expression. She reached out to touch the catmare, who quickly swatted the hand away. This prompted a freakout as Moondancer shook Daring.

“D-D-Daring!! C-C-Cat!! R-R-”

Daring held a hand over her mouth. “Yes, she’s real. Don’t you remember what happened?”

“Remember? What do you-?” She paused as a sudden flood of memories rushed back to her. Not just of the statue breaking open, but also of everypony getting subsumed in light, including herself. She remembered a green dream, of being a smart, sexy chicken futa turning griffons into sexy chicken babes for her to fuck at her leisure. Being hit, freed, and then… She looked down at herself, realizing she was naked and covering herself in shame.

“S-S-So that… That was all REAL???” She proclaimed, looking at the two mares before her.

Cat nodded with arms crossed. “Do not be ashamed. The Jade Empress has done this before, and any mare marked to be her champion has very little will to resist. That is why I am here, to put a stop to her once and for all.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Daring reminded Cat, nudging her.

“Yes, yes. We, believe what you will. You still chose to bring this mare with us. Her magic is likely drained thanks to the effects of the connection.”

She saw the confused expressions on both their faces and sighed, standing up and walking down the road. As they followed her, she explained. “To merge with a being like the Jade Champions is to give yourself to them. If one unfused early, you’ll be drained of magic for some time, but you’ll recover. The longer you take, however, the more difficult it is to break the bond. Your spirit starts to become one with the being, and before long…”

She paused, looking down at her hand. “There is no difference between you two anymore.”

Daring noted the slightly somber expression on Golden Cat’s face, and she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened so long ago. She saw as Cat turned towards the two with a serious expression. “That is why getting there as quickly as possible is paramount. We cannot simply rely on wings, especially if we bring the others with us.”

Daring sighed. “You’re… You’re right. We can’t just rely on our bodies. But fortunately, traveling the land is much easier nowadays…”

Golden Cat stopped in place and then turned to the adventurer. “Explain.”

“U-Umm, before you do…” Moondancer muttered. “C-Can I have some clothes?”

~~~

The trio soon arrived at Griffonstone Station, the end of the tracks for this particular line of the Friendship Express. And fortunately, the train was still there, seemingly abandoned. Moondancer ran down, dressed in an ill-fitting shirt and short shorts along with some sandals. Cat simply marveled at the sight.

“Amazing… So this is the ‘train’ you speak of… Which can travel long distances quickly?”

Daring nodded with a smile. “So long as it has the fuel, yeah. It’s a steam engine, meaning we need something hot to burn and water to pump the engines.”

“Fascinating…” Golden Cat rubbed her chin as they approached the station. The duo would look around, seeing how no one seemed to remain. Remnants of clothing and hints of structures turned into jade remained across the station. Both were only left to wonder how it could’ve happened, but Cat had an idea.

Soon, Moondancer returned, looking very much worried. Seeing this, Daring stepped up. “What’s the damage?”

“Bad…” She muttered. “We’ve got missing drivers, a missing drive rod, and an eccentric crank. Plus, the boiler is cracked and there’s not nearly enough water and almost all of the coal inside is gone. Not enough for us to get across.”

Daring sighed, crossing her arms. She was worried about that. She’d hoped that the Jade Empress’s time imprisoned would’ve kept the train safe due to the same technological ignorance as Cat. This meant something or someone could’ve tipped her off. Still, it didn’t matter. She just sighed and shrugged. “We’ll have to find replacements for the parts. Getting across Equestria by foot is too difficult.”

“Pardon me,” Cat stepped up. “These parts? They require metal?”

Moondancer adjusted her glasses and began to explain. “Well, specifically, they need steel or iron, some heavy, durable metal that would take a while to forge even with the right equip-”

“Say no more.” She approached the train and looked it up and down. She nodded to herself before turning to Daring. “I’m going to need the bits.”

Daring, confused but willing to listen, handed the pouch over to Cat, who took a number of coins and punched the train. For a moment, her fist emitted a dull, glowing light, but that light began to get brighter. Both mares covered their eyes, but Cat stayed still. Soon, the blinding light consumed the train, and when it died, it had been born anew. Gone was the technicolor paint job, replaced with the colors of red, orange, and gold. Details of phoenixes and cats lined the windows, and the interior showed soft velvet seating.

The duo marveled, wanting to ask how Cat did such a thing. She simply looked back at them and ask, “What is next?”

“U-Ummm…” Daring stuttered and quickly gathered her thoughts. “R-Right! Coal and water!”

“Hmmm… I do not have much action over coal, sadly… But I can gather water from the river nearby if it will help fill it…”

“Hmmm…” Moondancer looked at the nearby trees. “As much as I don’t want to deforest the place… There is another way. Charcoal. If we chop some oak wood into small enough pieces and heat them in an airtight container for a little while, we could have a good enough alternative.”

“Understood.” Cat nodded as she approached some nearby trees with intent to chop them down.

Daring looked back at Moondancer. “I think I found some empty barrels nearby. I’ll see to make sure we can leave it airtight. Thank you so much!”

Moondancer giggled with a shy blush, thankful her endless studying managed to actually have her be useful. She would assist in heating up the small wood pieces while Cat ran back and forth with buckets of water, filling the boiler up as much as they could. By the time she finished, the two mares had enough charcoal to last them for a while.

Daring stepped into the cab with Golden Cat, who offered to use her power to locate the next Champion, while Moondancer took a seat inside with a copy of the conductor’s field manual she swiped from the station. One quick lighting of the charcoal thanks to a tinderbox, and they were off.

~~~

The train was moving like a dream, rolling down the rails at high speed. Daring Do wasn’t an expert train conductor, but she knew how to keep one going, how to speed it up, and how to brake the vehicle. That was enough for what she had planned. Golden Cat sat in the cab with her, meditating as she held her staff in the air like a lightning rod. The whole time, she mumbled softly under her breath, golden energy gently swirling around her.

She’d asked a couple of times if she had any luck, but Cat told her to be quiet, as speaking broke her concentration. At this point, all they could do was be patient. Checking her map, she found that all they needed to do was cross the bridge to officially be on the continent. From there, all they’d need to do was find the Champions.

Then, a surge went through her body. Something was wrong. She didn’t know what, but she felt like she was headed toward destruction. Golden Cat opened her eyes and stood up in a flash.

“You sensed it too, didn’t you?”

Daring Do nodded. “What was that?”

Cat pointed forward. “Danger up ahead, but the path looks clear. I don’t sense any influenced Jade Slaves.”

“Give me a second.” Daring flew out of the cab and sped off as quickly as she could. She stayed overhead to avoid any attacks from the ground, but she could still see the tracks ahead, including the bridge.

This would also include the fact that the bridge and tracks ahead of the train were missing.

With a panicked expression, she flew back down and called out to the Golden Cat. “The tracks and bridge ahead are gone! We’re going to crash into the massive river and we don’t have enough time to brake the train!!!”

Golden Cat cursed herself. She knew it couldn’t be that easy. Even as far ahead as they were now, she figured the Jade Empress would’ve found a way to sabotage their efforts to progress any further. She checked her bag for the number of bits she had, took a small handful, then attached them to her waistband. “Lift me up!”

Daring nodded and snatched the warrior up. Even while flying, she pushed herself to get Cat ahead of the train. As soon as the duo were within range of the missing tracks, Cat muttered something into her hand before tossing the coins. Soon, another blinding flash filled the air, and soon the missing bridge and tracks had golden replacements in their place, allowing the train to safely pass by.

“Phew… That was close…” Daring panted out as she flew down toward the cab of the train.

“Indeed… We’re lucky, even if we’re low on bits. But we’ll make do for the time being.” Cat patted the place she put the pouch of bits.

However, there was nothing there, and as she checked again to confirm, her eyes focused on the cause of the missing bits. A jade monkey mare, screeching and slapping her ass before leaping off the roof of the train and leaping towards the mountains.

“Rrrrgh, MONKEEEEEY!!!”

Cat leaped from Do’s arms and chased after the cackling monkey, leaving the mare at the train. She quickly stopped the train, then ran to the carriage where Moondancer was, tumbled over.

“W-What’s going on??” Moondancer called out.

“Another champion, I think! A monkey, headed toward the mountains! It just stole all our remaining bits, we need to catch it!”

“L-Let me come too!” Moondancer stumbled up. “I have a little bit of knowledge about-!”

Daring Do shook her head. “Listen, we need to keep everypony safe. Just wait here and don’t worry! We’ll be back quickly!”

Moondancer nervously nodded and watched as Daring, with her remaining energy, flew after Cat. Alone, she felt not much to do besides read the manual with her hand between the cushions of the seat. That was when she felt something rubbing against her fingers…