Daring Do and the Legend of the Jade Empress

“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…