Path of The Dragon Info Dump Part 2 · 1:30pm Feb 6th, 2021
My apologizes for forgetting about this last weekend, but here is the second info dump of what would have happened in Path of the Dragon had I continued it. This is to go over major plot points that would have been brought up.
-The Horn of Centarus, as mentioned in a previous chapter, was going to be how Spike and the others find themselves involved in the fight between the Warlords, Vander and Swanburn. Both are opposites in how they wish to take over the islands with Vander willing to get his hands dirty and fight through any means nessecary to unite the country faster even if it means more bloodshed and then focus on rebuilding when everything is done. Swanburn is the opposite, wishing to unite through diplomacy rather then force and fight with honor and justice even if it means that more people die over the course of the war. Both sides want the horn for different reasons, but in the end Spike manages to give it to Swanburn, believing him to be a better person. He regrets this later when its revealed Swanburn is actually an agent from the Unicornia and was prolong the war to weaken The Erebus Islands for Unicornia to take over at the end of the story.
-The Spike Team does managed to end up having to deal with the The Masks of Mordum due to Spike killing a target which they take offense to because they worship Mordum, who is the god of death. By having the kill they were planning in his name stolen, the assassin whose duty was to kill that target is shamed and must kill Spike in order to regain his favor in his eyes. Spike and his team would have to survive numerous assassination attempts by this target until Spike managed to kill him. This causes the The Masks of Mordum to offer Spike to replace him in their order instead, but Spike refuses. However, they do warn him that Mordum is watching over him.
-Halfway through the story The Trial of the Dragon Lord begins, and Spike finds himself summoned to the Dragon Lands to take part. Despite having no clan of his own, Spike finds himself in Marc/Ashwing's old clan which happens to also be the home clan of Ember and Torch. During the trials, which would have been different from the show, Spike and Ember find themselves becoming friends as they take on dragons like Garble. While Ember wants to become Dragon Lord to seek a means to help her clan find a better future on their own Garble wants to take the clan and go to war with others to gain strength to one day attack other nations. He's got dreams of being the next Dragon Emperor. I did debate whether or not to put Smolder in this because I planned the entire thing out before the Student Six were a thing and I figured I'd just mention he had a sister and that's it. Garble dies by both Spike and Ember's claws before Spike wins the Scepter, however, he gives it up to Ember to the shock of everyone since no dragon has ever done that but Spike doesn't want to be the Dragon Lord, he wants to go home to his friends, who did follow him out of concern. Ember and him promise to meet up again and write to each other.
-It's also during the Trial of the Dragon Lord arc that we learn of Marc's past (see the first info drop) and Aquilina realizes she's in love with Spike.
-It's eventually revealed to the whole world, that Princess Luna did indeed know about the planned Assassination of Twilight Sparkle but failed to prevent it. Needless to say this makes Luna an outcast in Equestria and even her sister outright disowns her out of anger and grief (though she regrets it later) and Luna decides to step down as Princess of Equestria and disappears. Needless to say, Spike goes out on a fury of a rampage and this causes him to reveal his past to all his friends. Near the end of the series, the gang takes a job to help an island dealing with an armada of pirates seeking to ransack the place, but have managed to hold out thanks to their newest leader (Who they elected when she started helping them). That leader turns out to be Princess Luna who both are shocked to see each other. Naturally, Spike doesn't want anything to do with her and Luna doesn't deny Spike's hatred for her, but she outright does snap when he declares he just let her die. Luna states she never wanted Twilight to die, and did everything in her power to save her, but admits she failed in her actions. She came to Erebus to live a lone for the rest of her life, but couldn't stand by when the people of the islands she was on were suffering so she stood up and fought for them.
-Luna also tells off Spike for his selfish desire to just run away from everyone and worrying everyone half to death, with everyone thinking he's dead or killed himself in grief since there has been no word of him. Eventually, the two fight which Spike loses, but the two eventually calm down and have a serious talk. Luna accepts she failed to save Twilight by keeping it all a secret and should have gone to Twilight or Celestia about what was going on, admitting that, deep down she really did want to be the hero for once while also not wanting to burden Twilight further with more trouble since she was barley hanging on. Spike admits that running away was selfish and he didn't really meant to hurt anyone, but he couldn't face a world where Twilight wasn't around anymore. The two don't forgive each other, but they are willing to accept that both are sorry for their actions before parting ways.
-However, at the end, Unicornia invades Erebus Island with Empress Majesty (who rules the entire nation at this point in the timeline) invades the Islands with her Armada and Centaur allies. Erebus unites to protect their freedom, but Warlord Swanburn is revealed to be an agent of Unicornia and has managed to turn half the guilds and leaders into siding with him and Unicornia including Ars Arcandum and half of the Legion. Erebus enters a civil war for a brief moment, but they are unable to win and Unicornia takes over. Marc/Ashwing is also killed saving Spike and the others as Red Lighting goes underground. Spike is eventually captured while they are on the run and taken onto a prisoner ship while his friends believe him to be dead as Luna does what she can to help start and underground resistance. However, Spike manages to escape from the ship, but lands in Equestria while doing so.
This is when Ragnarock for Spike begins.
Well, that's everything for Path of the Dragon. Path of the Tyrant's info dump will come next.
Thanks for this.
Sounds like this was going to be a very long story. I think my favorite part would have been The Trial of the Dragon Lord, with Spike and Ember meeting and working together (and I would have definitely been hoping they hooked up) and everyone learning Marc/Ashwing's past.
Even though Path of The Dragon was my favorite of the two, I am looking forward to the info dump on Tyrant next.
Damn. Spike can't catch a break, can he? Thanks to a single choice, practically all his efforts went down the sinker, leaving him just as alone as he started on his journey. The only accomplishments that stuck were the Erebus resistance and having a hotline to the Dragons.
In hindsight, I can see why you scrapped this. This is just too depressing and would've killed your readers' investment as everything is practically a waste of time.
I noticed that you have nothing planned for Yasahiro in here as well. Did you scrap the whole thing before coming up with his backstory?
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Yasahiro's backstory would have been explained in Ragnarock. When I get to that info dump, I'll explain it then
Ouch that would have been a massive downer ending. Yea I can see why you choose to stop telling this story and the whole universe. Still let’s see how the other story would have gone and hopefully the final one as well.
Honestly, that would've been a hell of an enjoyable, and shocking, twist for me if this continued on
. On the flip side, it does make it more understandable why many would've been turned away by that
.
In any case, good info dump here! Can't wait for Path Of The Tyrant Info Dump
!
I don't know if this is how it was going to be if the Path of Dragon hasn't cancelled but I'd rather read a story where people like Luna is able to make up for their failures despite not protecting their loved ones. Actually, maybe it's better not to continue with Path of Dragon since Spike nearly took a turn for the worst when Luna abandoned Equestria and that Majesty Blueblood's hooves reached out across Erebus Islands with the aid of her spies and allies.