Wayrift Book 1 Overview
Introduction Part 1: Light on the Mountain
Location: Mt. Ordeals, Blue Star Dimension
Characters Introduced: Professor Kory, Aiden KluYa, hints at Zeb Ya
Creation Date: Revised art/writing, 2004
Some time has passed since the end of the Crystal War, but it hasn’t been kind to Professor Kory since the Red Moon, his focus of study, left the orbit of the Blue Planet. Having nothing else to lose, he’s working on a new invention on the summit of Mt. Ordeals, where the ghost of his best friend, Aiden KluYa, still lingers, bound to the crystal cave. With any luck, this device is meant to draw KluYa’s spirit back into the living realm.
Kory doesn’t realize, however, that his activities are being watched by KluYa’s eldest son, Zeb.
When Kory activates the device, something unforseen happens — it somehow connects to an energy source from a parallel dimension, and pulls all three of them into a pocket dimension.
Introduction Part 2: Dark Lord of Baron
Location: Baron, Darkstar Dimension
Characters Introduced: Benjamin Ya, Leona Pollendina, Cid Pollendina
Creation Date: Revised art/writing, 2004
Master Wizard Benjamin Ya has been recording the strange disruption in dimensional energies he’s been sensing. Though he doesn’t know the source, these energies were coming from Kory’s device in the Blue Star Dimension.
Meanwhile, Leona Pollendina is trying to skip school, which is apparently a common ocurrence. In attempt to escape the truant guards and her frustrated father, she climbs the outside of Ben’s tower.
At that very moment, Ben is working with dimensional energies, trying to figure out what the latest disturbance might mean. As Leona bursts through Ben’s window, the dimensional spell mis-fires and it makes a connection to the dimensional energies released by Kory’s device, pulling Leona and Ben into the same pocket dimension as the others.
Introduction Part 3: Out of the Blue
Location: The Borderlands, Pocket Dimension
Creation Date: Revised art/writing, 2004
Kory wakes up in the middle of the pocket dimension void. There, he’s joyously reunited with KluYa, who was pulled from Mt. Ordeals by Kory’s device.
After walking through the dimensional void, they bicker about how to find a way back home. Their argument is interrupted by the flash of light in the distance, which is the arrival of Ben and Leona in the pocket dimension.
Introduction Part 4: Lost to the Void
Location: The Borderlands, Pocket Dimension
Creation Date: Revised art/writing, 2004
Leona wakes up to find Ben standing over her. At first, she freaks out, being somewhat afraid and mistrustful of Ben, due to his past as the Dark Lord Golbez. Eventually, she comes to terms with the idea that the only way she will go home is if she travels with Ben, who promises to return her to the proper dimension.
Chapter 1: Into the Borderlands
Location: The Borderlands, Pocket Dimension
Creation Date: Revised art/writing, 2004 – 2005
Ben and Leona meet Kory and KluYa in the pocket dimension. Leona recognizes Kory, from her father’s associations with the scholar in her dimension. KluYa recognizes Ben as an alternate dimensional twin of his eldest son.
When Ben learns that Aiden is an alternate dimensional form of his own father, he responds with fear and guilt for all the bad things he did during the Crystal War as Golbez the Dark Lord. KluYa, however, sees Ben’s remorse and receives him with a fatherly love and forgiveness, which establishes the beginning of a alt-dimension father/son relationship.
KluYa explains that they are currently located in a pocket dimension that borders between the Blue Star and Darkstar dimension, hence the name Borderlands. They discover that they are able to shape and create forms within the void. Working together, they create a landscape of grass, trees, sky and river.
Zeb, who is still lurking just out of sight, adds his own grouchy contribution — a rainstorm.
The figments rush to seek shelter from the rain and discover an old Cottage at the top of a hill.
Chapter 2: Shelter from the Storm
Location: The Borderlands
Creation Date: Revised art/writing, 2005
The figments take shelter from the rain in the Cottage on the hill. They manage to find food within and create a fire to dry out and warm up. While eating, they begin talking, and Kory’s conversation about the past upsets KluYa.
KluYa leaves the group to sit out on the roof. Ben follows, still somewhat shy, but wishing to offer support and sympathy. KluYa discovers that Ben has lost his own parents and misses having a family of his own. He offers to act as a father to Ben, which Ben happily accepts.
Cheered by the turn of events, KluYa clears the storm from the sky and they return to the house, where Ben again promises to make sure Leona gets home safely.
Chapter 3: Voice from the Shadows
Location: The Borderlands
Characters Introduced: Zeb’s voice
Creation Date: First four pages: revised art/writing, 2005. From there, the art and story is the original version, drafted in 2003.
The figments start getting antsy as they turn their thoughts towards find a way home. Leona gets frustrated and storms off into the forest, where she gets lost.
Ben follows Leona and finds her. There, they hear the voice of Zeb, who speaks to them from the shadows in the forest. Ben recognizes it as the presence he felt during the rainstorm the previous night.
When Zeb pressures Ben to admit that he cares for Leona, Ben denies it, hoping to protect Leona from the mysterious voice. This upsets Leona, who runs off, leaving Ben and Zeb to talk. Zeb does his best to try to warn Ben, claiming that KluYa is keeping secrets and is dangerous.
Their argument is cut short at the sound of Leona shouting for help, where she’s accidentally fallen into the ocean waters not far from the forest.
Chapter 4: High Tide
Location: The Borderlands
Characters Introduced: Zeb’s outline
Creation Date: 2003
Ben rushes into the water to save Leona, who is tangled within the seaweed and getting pulled under the water. The mysterious shape of Zeb appears, and pulls Leona free. Unknowing, Leona mistakes Zeb for Ben.
Ben, however, is getting in over his own head as he doesn’t know how to swim. Leona swims out to rescue him instead. They are both rescued by KluYa, who uses powerful magic to draw away the water and allow Ben and Leona to make it to the shore.
Ben tells KluYa about the voice they heard in the forest, and KluYa sends them back to the Cottage while he investigates. However, when Ben and Leona get there, they find Kory in a state of panic and fear.
Chapter 5: Shadows from the Past
Location: The Borderlands
Characters Introduced: Zeb (for real this time)
Creation Date: 2003
Zeb reveals himself in full Dark Lord armor to Ben, Leona and Kory. Kory is terrified, not knowing that KluYa‘s son was in fact the Dark Lord Golbez from the Crystal Wars.
Zeb continues to try to sway Ben and warn him against KluYa’s secrets and trickery. Ben is fiercely loyal to his new-found father and rejects Zeb’s warnings, while trying to figure out why Zeb still embraces the shadows and dark armor.
KluYa returns from his explorations and is shocked to find Zeb at the Cottage. Zeb takes off his helmet and reveals himself to them before leaving his father in a state of total dismay.
Though Ben is confused and worried, he tells Leona that he won’t fight Zeb. He sees Zeb as an alternate-dimension mirror of himself, and has hopes to try to bring Zeb around.
The chapter ends with Zeb sitting by himself, where he plots and reveals that he has one of his father’s Crystals in his possession.
Chapter 6: Of Light and Darkness
Location: The Borderlands
Creation Date: 2003
The figments work to clean up the Cottage and make it more homey. Zeb has created a large tree outside of the Cottage where he sits and ominously observes the happenings below.
Leona climbs Zeb’s tree, thinking she might be able to see her home by climbing something that tall. She freaks out when she discovers Zeb is there, falls out of the tree and is caught by Ben.
Thinking that Zeb tried to hurt Leona, Ben exchanges sharp words with him. This escalates into a full out fight between the two Golbei, as they attempt to one-up each other. KluYa comes out to break the fight up and Zeb subtly threatens to reveal KluYa’s secrets before leaving. This puts KluYa on the defense as he watches Zeb walk away.
Chapter 7: Homeward Bound
Location: The Borderlands
Creation Date: 2004
Leona discovers Ben, who is currently working to open a rift back to Baron and take them home. She interrupts his spell (again), bickers with him and ultimately tries to bribe him with a Twinkie. Ben then reassures her that he’s good on his promise to take her home, but that it’s dangerous because he’s having to search through the Ways to find the right connection.
He makes Leona promise not to follow him through the rift until he knows it’s safe. This is partially because the Ways are dangerous — they seek to entrap people as well as reveal hidden truths about people. Though Leona gives her word, she breaks her promise upon catching a glimpse at what looks like home. When she runs through the rift behind Ben, she is drawn into the traps of the Ways.
Chapter 8: Shades of Grey
Location: The Ways (Dreamworld Baron)
Characters Introduced: DS Cecil
Creation Date: 2004
Leona wakes up in a dreamworld Baron, one that is created by the Ways from her emotions and fears. She meets Cecil and Cid outside her house, and they tell her that Ben has been captured and imprisoned due to being accused of kidnapping and hurting her.
Determined to make it right, Leona breaks into the jails of Baron to find Ben.
Chapter 9: Mind Captive
Location: The Ways (Dreamworld Baron)
Characters Introduced: Chase Wescott
Creation Date: 2004
When Leona finds Ben chained in the Baron prisons, he has been altered by the Ways, showing his own fears of a dark, shadowy Sygnus form. He tries to persuade her of his inner darkness and guilt, telling her that he should be left there, locked away.
Leona, however, chooses to believe that Ben was innocent in that he was used to do the dark things he did against his will. When she unlocks the cell, the full form of Sygnus becomes free, and the dream-Baron is blasted away.
Dragged down by her uncertainty and sorrow, Leona’s form begins to fade, becoming consumed by the Ways. Ben shows her his secret — the form of Sygnus — and rescues her, pulling them out of the Ways and back to the real Baron.
When Leona wakes, she finds that they have made it home. She meets Chase and Cid in Ben’s room and wakes the sleeping Ben with a Twinkie.
Meanwhile, KluYa tells Kory that he senses Ben and Leona have made it home. With Ben out of the way, Zeb watches them, ready to strike.
Chapter 10: The Baronian Rift
Location: Baron, Darkstar Dimension
Creation Date: 2004
Though Ben made it home safely, he wants to return to the Borderlands to help KluYa and Kory find a way home as well. Leona sees Ben trying to leave without her, follows him and demands that he take her with him. After he agrees, Leona takes him to the garden wall behind her house where they open a permanent (but hidden) rift between the Darkstar dimension and the Borderlands.
Chapter 11: The Infiltration
Location: Borderlands & Mt. Ordeals, BS Dimension
Creation Date: 2004
When Ben and Leona arrive back at the Cottage, there’s no sign of Kory or KluYa. Instead, they find that Zeb has taken control of the Cottage, and hints that he personally sent his father home (he actually means he re-trapped KluYa in the crystal cave on Mt. Ordeals).
Ben follows the trail of rift energy, worried that Zeb has done something to hurt KluYa. He and Leona escape before Zeb can stop them, and find themselves on the summit of Mt. Ordeals.
Chapter 12: Ghosts of the Past
Location: Mt. Ordeals, BS Dimension
Characters Introduced: Miran Ya
Creation Date: 2004
Ben and Leona find Kory on Mt. Ordeals, trying to fix the device that revived KluYa’s spirit the first time. However, startled at their appearance, he knocks it off the mountain, and it shatters into pieces.
Once Kory gets over his anger about the loss of the device, he explains the situation to Ben. He also tells Ben about the past — how he met KluYa, about KluYa’s marriage to Miran and about young Zeb’s rocky relationship with KluYa.
Ben and Leona see the KluYa’s despondent ghost on the summit and Ben decides to go inside the crystal cave to bring back his father by magic alone.
Chapter 13: RAGE!
Location: Mt. Ordeals, BS Dimension
Creation Date: 2004-2005
Ben enters the crystal cave on Mt. Ordeal to release his father’s spirit. KluYa responds to his presence and makes an attempt to work with Ben for release. However, Zeromus’ curse strikes back at them, using the pain and uncertainty of their past and emotions to try and stop them.
Undaunted, Ben presses on and successfully frees KluYa from Mt. Ordeals.
Chapter 14: The Impostor
Location: Borderlands / Baron, Darkstar Dimension
Characters Introduced: Kain Highwind (DS), Sam
Creation Date: 2005
While Ben was freeing KluYa on Mt. Ordeals, Zeb located the rift to the Darkstar dimension Baron. Jealous that Ben is accepted by Cecil and the humans of his world, Zeb puts on his armor and decides to impersonate Ben, causing trouble in Baron.
Before the other figments can stop Zeb, he attacks Kain, who brings word back to Cecil that Golbez is on the lose. Cecil finds Zeb in Sam’s tavern, and challenges him to a fight. When Sam reveals that Zeb is an impostor, Cecil redoubles his fighting efforts in attempt to clear his brother’s name.
Zeb is forced to flee, but is eventually found and ousted by Ben, who nearly summons Meteo in his anger. KluYa pleads for Ben to have mercy on Zeb and finally Ben agrees. KluYa and Kory take an unconscious Zeb back to the Borderlands while Leona and Ben cover them and get Cecil off of Zeb’s trail.
Chapter 15: The Blue Star
Location: Borderlands / Past Baron, Blue Star Dimension
Characters Introduced: Drake
Creation Date: 2005
Zeb has nightmares about his time in Zot and being under Zemus‘ control. When he wakes, he finds himself captive in the Borderlands. Ben, again, tries to talk to Zeb and figure out why Zeb is doing what he’s doing. Eventually, Ben gives up and he goes to open the rift to the Blue Star Dimension.
However, because the offset of timelines, Ben’s rift is incorrect. He opens a rift to the Blue Star dimension, but it leads to the distant past instead of the present time. There, he and Leona encounter Rosa and Kain’s father, as well as the Lunar Nullifier, Drake.
Drake leads Ben into a trap and nullifies his magic while Leona runs back to the Cottage to find help.
Chapter 16: The Hunter
Location: Borderlands / Past Baron, Blue Star Dimension
Creation Date: 2005 – 2006
Ben tries to fight against Drake, but Drake is a superior warrior and Ben doesn’t have his magic.
Leona only find Zeb back at the Cottage, and Zeb convinces her to let him go in order to help Ben. He keeps his word and comes to Ben’s aid. He explains that Drake is a Lunarian Hunter, who was once the enemy of KluYa.
The two Golbei attempt to fight Drake, but even together, they are defeated. Finally, Kory and KluYa arrive and KluYa challenges Drake. While Kory leads the others back to the rift, KluYa transforms to fight Drake and give them a chance to escape.
Finally KluYa escapes and leaps through the rift back to the Borderlands. Ben closes the rift just as Drake makes the leap, and Drake doesn’t get through.
Zeb goes his own way in the Borderlands and refuses to return to his prisoner status.
Chapter 17: The Great Rift
Location: Borderlands
Creation Date: 2006
KluYa heals Ben of his battle wounds. He also explains about Drake, and discusses the danger of Crystal Masters. KluYa admits that one of the reasons Zeb is angry with him is because KluYa attempted to use mind magic against Zeb years ago.
Kory discusses their discovery of the Great Rift, an unstable area on the edge of the Borderlands. He says that there’s a presence within (which is actually Zazo), and they go to study the rift for more information.
As they leave the Cottage, KluYa stops to offer an apology to Zeb for things that happened in the past.
The Hunter’s Intermission
Location: Infinite Ways / Borderlands
Characters Introduced: Zazo (Voice Only)
Creation Date: 2006
Drake was sent spiraling off into the Infinite Ways when the rift closed on him. He’s awakened by the voice of Zazo, who promises him victory over the Yas in exchange for helping her draw out her brother, Zemi. Drake reluctantly agrees and Zazo sends him back to the Borderlands.
Chapter 18: Among the Stars
Location: Borderlands
Creation Date: 2006
Ben and Leona spend some time talking and looking at the stars. After learning more about each other and sharing hopes and fears, the two decide to officially become friends.
Chapter 19: Dreams of Darkness
Location: Borderlands
Creation Date: 2006
Leona helps Ben move into the loft room in the Cottage. Ben finds Zeb caught up in a deep sleep at the base of his tree. Worried, Ben taps into Zeb’s mind and experiences some of Zeb’s twisted dreams.
Once they both escape Zeb’s dreams, Ben climbs the tree and attempts to talk to Zeb about his experiences as Golbez. They share philosophies and memories, bonding for the first time as brothers.
Chapter 20: Return to the Blue Star Realm
Location: Borderlands / Baron, BS Realm
Characters Introduced: BS Cecil, Elder Max, Junior
Creation Date: 2006
Now that they have established a proper rift to the Blue Star dimension, Kory plans on taking what he’s learned of the Borderlands and present it to the Great Academy Consortium in Baron.
However, Kory doesn’t get a very warm welcome. He finds himself pit up against BSCecil (BSC), who does not want news of the Lunar race spread among the humans. Kory, who is determined to prove himself, tells BSC and Elder Max of Mysidia that he will show them the rift to the Borderlands.
Meanwhile, KluYa and Ben discover Kory’s plans, and travel (with Leona) to the Blue Star dimension. KluYa temporarily closes the rift.
When Kory arrives with BSC and Max, he finds the rift shut. Embarrassing himself in front of the others, BSC and Max dismiss his claims and returns to the conference. Kory sees KluYa in the distance and realizes KluYa was the one that closed the rift.
Meanwhile, Ben and Leona catch sight of Zeb wandering through BS Baron. They follow him to a seedy bar (Homie’s), where Zeb challenges Ben to a drinking contest. Despite their weakness to alcohol, the two stubbornly drink themselves sick and get thrown out of the bar.
Chapter 21: Ignorance is Bliss
Location: Borderlands / Baron, BS Realm
Characters Introduced: Sarafina
Creation Date: 2006
KluYa and Kory duke it out in front of astonished children in Baron before being interrupted by Junior and Sarafina. They then discover the two drunk and ill Golbei and take them back to the Borderlands.
In the Borderlands, KluYa offers Ben and Zeb comfort for the alcohol illness. Zeb refuses it and leaves. Worried about Zeb, KluYa and Kory follow, leaving Ben with Leona. Little do they know that this is just the chance Drake is waiting for.
Chapter 22: Plan in Action
Location: Borderlands
Creation Date: 2006 – 2007
Kory and KluYa finally find Zeb in the forest. He was tied up in tree, in shock from tranquilizer darts that point to the Hunter’s handiwork. Realizing Ben and Leona may be in trouble, they rush home with Zeb.
Meanwhile, Drake bars the bathroom door, attacks Ben and attempts to drown him in the bathtub. KluYa rushes in to save the day, busting down the door and protecting Ben from Drake. Drake gets away, however, and takes Leona with him.
Chapter 23: The Hunter and the King
Location: Borderlands / Baron, DS Realm
Characters Introduced: Zemi Dreigiau
Creation Date: 2007
Drake takes Leona to the DS Realm Baron, his next target aiming to be DS Cecil. KluYa and company realize this plan and follow Drake.
However, Drake has already infiltrated the throne room by disguising himself as a Baron guard and carrying Leona to see Cecil. There, he challenges Cecil to a dual. Cecil holds his own until Drake’s weapons break his backup sword.
Chase sneaks into the throne room through the servant’s passageway. He finds Leona, who prompts him to go find help. Searching for help, Chase hears the voice of Zemi, who is still locked within the piece of crystal in Ben’s room. The voice leads Chase to destroy the crystal piece, which frees Zemi and allows him to manifest in the form of a small, playful white dragon.
Leona discovers Chase and Zemi. Though both are somewhat disappointed in Zemi’s form, he proves his usefulness by melting the chains on Leona’s wrists with his flame breath. They decide to take Zemi back with them to the battle between Drake and Cecil. There, Zemi reveals his larger dragon form.
Meanwhile, Ben leads KluYa and Kory to the throne room. In the middle of the confusion, they get separated. Cid attacks KluYa, seeing him as an unknown Lunar, and mistaking him for Drake (who kidnapped Leona). Kory escapes the attack, but KluYa is captured.
Zemi’s large dragon form causes panic, which Drake uses to escape. Cecil orders Zemi’s capture, and Cid takes the dragon to the dungeons for holding. There, Zemi and KluYa reunite, identifying each other as interdimentional father and son.
Chapter 24: Father and Son
Location: Borderlands / Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2007
Zemi and KluYa discuss the situation, locked in the Baron jail, where Zemi reveals his person form. He then breaks them both out, transforms back into a dragon and escapes by breaking a hole through the wall. Carrying KluYa in his mouth, Zemi flies them away.
Leona sees KluYa in Zemi’s mouth and mistakes Zemi for an evil dragon who is threatening to hurt KluYa. She rushes back to tell Ben, who is inspecting the broken pieces of the crystal in his room with Kory. The three of them rush to follow Zemi, worried for KluYa’s safety.
Meanwhile, Zemi and KluYa return to the Borderlands where their arrival is watched carefully by Zeb.
Chapter 25: The Arrival
Location: Borderlands
Creation Date: 2007
KluYa shows Zemi to the Cottage and welcomes him to stay there. Zeb, however, watches them, hidden in the kitchen closet. The combination of dark matter, flashbacks and emotional trauma begin to distort his view of both KluYa and Zemi’s conversation, making him believe that they are plotting against him.
He acts first, attacking KluYa and sealing him in shadows, while fending off attacks from Zemi. Ben, Leona and Kory, however, come to the cottage looking for KluYa. Zeb makes it look as if Zemi is the one attacking, and persuades Ben to join him based on the fact that Zemi is the “evil” white dragon who feels similar to Zeromus.
Fearful of Ben’s Sygnus energies, Zemi attempts to escape, but finds himself trapped by Ben’s abilities to control energies. KluYa finally breaks free from the shadow’s hold and comes to Zemi’s rescue, sharply scolding Ben and Zeb for their actions against Zemi. Upset, Ben and Leona return to DS Baron while Zeb is sent to stew in his cloud of confusion in Ben’s loft bedroom.
Chapter 26: What Lies Beyond
Location: Zazo’s Pocket Dimension / Zot, DS Realm
Characters Introduced: Kip OMEGA
Creation Date: 2007
Drake returns to Zazo’s pocket dimension where she reveals her wolf form. She is pleased that Drake has drawn Zemi out to manifest, and now begins to plot against her brother. She also wakes Kip OMEGA, whom she is using against his will.
Zazo sends Kip and Drake to the sunken ruins of Zot, where Kip is to salvage what he can to strike at Ben and Zemi. While there, they are attacked by lingering monsters who inhabit Zot and fight together to fend off the attack. Kip learns about Drake’s nullification powers, and grows somewhat mistrustful of his new partner.
Chapter 27: Ambivalence
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2007 – 2008
Leona comes to cheer up Ben, who is upset that Zeb lied and tricked him and KluYa scolded him. They share thoughts and worries. Eventually, Ben reveals that he and Cecil are both pieces of Sygnus, an mysterious transformation that he knows very little about.
Leona is accepting of his revelation and encourages him to talk to his father about his feelings and patch things up. She also proclaims that Ben is more human than he believes, much to his surprise.
Chapter 28: On the Rocks
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2008
Kory, KluYa and Zemi converse in Sam’s Tavern in Baron. There, they discuss concerns dealing with Zeb and Ben. They also discover things that set Zemi apart from the Earthian people, such as the fact he doesn’t need to eat and that water has an electric reaction to his form.
Ben and Leona come to Sam’s to order icecream and see the others there. Ben works up the courage to apologize to KluYa, though he still doesn’t trust Zemi very much. KluYa also apologizes and buys Ben a big icecream. Meanwhile, Leona discovers a poster announcing an upcoming airship racing competition in Baron.
Chapter 29: Take Off
Location: Zot, DS Realm / Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2008
Kip crafts a ship from the scraps of Zot and flies himself and Drake to DS Baron. There, they spy on Ben and Leona and make plans to enter the upcoming airship racing competition.
Chapter 30: Fair Exchange
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Characters Introduced: Bradhoc Browning, Sedo
Creation Date: 2008
Kip brings Drake to Bradhoc’s estate looking for funding to build a racing ship for the competition. Bradhoc is a mysterious and rich Baronian noble who dislikes Lunars, especially Golbez. He agrees to help, and provides Kip with the tools and equipment he needs.
Kory and KluYa are also building a ship to enter the race, much to Leona’s frustration. She and Ben work together to enhance her ship for the race.
Zemi also meets Sedo, another racer, and learns a bit about Cecil’s past as an airship racing champion.
Chapter 31: The Danger Zone
Location: Baron, DS Realm / Zazo’s Pocket Dimension
Creation Date: 2008
The great Baronian Airship Race begins! Things, of course, don’t go as planned. Suksley attempts to cheat by using bombs to eliminate the competition, but he’s quickly taken out by Kip. Kip then locks on on Leona, shooting her out of the sky in order to draw Ben out.
KluYa and Kip get into a fight on the deck of KluYa’s ship. Things look bad as Kip attempts to take the ship down, but Zemi dragon appears to rescue KluYa and Kory.
Ben rushes out to find Leona’s crashed ship. There, he fights Drake in a losing battle. Zemi appears in time to provide reinforcement, and Drake’s attention turns to fight the dragon. Kip joins the fight, and Ben sees OMEGA for the first time, realizing he’s still alive.
A fight breaks out between the parties, and is interrupted by Zeb’s appearance. He takes the crystal and uses it on KluYa to…. (secret!) ….allowing KluYa to fight Drake. Cid arrives with backup, causing Drake and Kip to retreat through a rift. Zemi gets a sense of Zazo within the rift, but doesn’t quite know what that means. They return to Baron, taking Leona’s crashed ship with them.
Meanwhile, in the Zazo pocket dimension, Zazo drains Kip of the crystal energies he’s gathered to strengthen herself. She then has enough power to manifest in wolf form in the material world, and makes known her plan to continue using Kip to drain the crystals.
Chapter 32: The Crystal of Air
Location: Fabul, DS Realm
Characters Introduced: Fang, King Yang
Creation Date: 2008 – 2009
Zazo sends Kip to Fabul in order to drain energy from the Crystal of Air. When he gets there, he discovers another thief, Fang, is already at work. Seeing her chance at the big catch, Fang steals the Crystal and Kip bickers with her to get it back.
They are interrupted by King Yang and his guards. Fang makes her escape and takes Kip with her. Afterwards, she threatens him about practicing thievery on her territory. She then swipes his gold and leaves him.
Zazo comes to claim her energy from Kip, and he expresses his discontent with her as the chapter ends.
Chapter 33: Of the Darkstar
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2009
Leona is bummed because she didn’t finish the airship race, so she goes to find Ben.She runs into Chase, who explains Ben’s previous bad experiences with Kip, and why Ben is currently upset to know that OMEGA is still alive.
Leona confronts Ben about it, and he tells her of the death of Joran and the coming of the Dark Sygnus, Luccious, who they stopped. He also tells her that he’s afraid that Leona will become OMEGA’s next target. Undaunted, Leona pep talks him and they decide to make their friendship official.
Chapter 34: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
Location: Baron, BS Realm
Characters Introduced: Job
Creation Date: 2009
BS Cecil and Junior spar, and Cecil takes out his Golbez-concerns on Junior. Afterwards, Sarafina meets with Junior and they discuss the loss of Junior’s older brother, Job.
Cecil takes a walk through a rainy Baron and is approached by an armored Zeb. They talk and Zeb tries to warn Cecil about the brewing troubles. Cecil is not very receptive to the message and is extremely nervous about seeing Golbez return to Baron.
Cecil is eventually found by Rosa and his mother-in-law, who hassles him, as usual.
Chapter 35: Ancient Shadow
Location: Zemi’s Pocket Dimension / Damcyan, BS Realm
Characters Introduced: TsuYa Tai
Creation Date: 2009
Zemi has a hunch that Zazo is involved in making trouble, so he awakens TsuYa Tai from a slumber within his pocket dimension. Though Zemi has and does sustain Tai, he is furious at the Arweinydd, seeing this as nothing more than servitude. However, once Zemi explains the situation to Tai, the warrior agrees to assist in finding Kip and helping him. Zemi rifts him to Damcyan in the BS Realm without further explanation.
Chapter 36: Perparations
Location: Damcyan, BS Realm
Creation Date: 2009
Tai attempts to adjust to life in the Human world of the Blue Planet as he searches for clues about Kip’s location.
Meanwhile, KluYa, Kory, Zemi, Ben and Leona come to Damcyan to warn the king about a possible attack against the Crystal of Earth. They’re stopped by an arrogant Damcyan scholar, who refuses to give them audience with the king.
Another meanwhile: Kip and Drake discuss crystal masters and Lunars as they get ready to put Zazo’s plans into action. Zazo appears and gives the word to start the infiltration. However, no one realizes that Zeb has been listening in on their plans.
Chapter 37: Convergent
Location: Damcyan, BS Realm
Characters Introduced: King Edward
Creation Date: 2009
Tai meets King Edward as he works as a water boy for all the construction happening in the rebuilding of Damcyan. King Edward, not realizing the importance of Kory’s request for an audience turns him away.
When the scholar comes back to break the news, Kory and Zemi jump him and he ends up mind-wiped of the experience. Zemi’s ferocity frightens Ben and Leona, but they move forward in finding the crystal.
OMEGA is already in the crystal room, attempting to drain it of energy. The battle for the crystal begins, with Zeb appearing in the middle of the fight. Outside, Zazo is rampaging as a giant white wolf and has summoned a terrible sandstorm against the city. Zemi sends Tai against Zazo, and they are both surprised to see each other.
Zazo demands that Zemi give Tai to her, much to Tai’s frustration. When Zemi refuses, the two Arweinydd fight, and Zazo batters Zemi badly.
In the crystal room, King Edward, BS Cecil and Junior join the battle to protect the crystal. Kip escapes the fight. KluYa is mysteriously drawn into Cecil’s crystal sword and trapped there. The rest are imprisoned in Damcyan.
Drake, Zazo and Kip exit through a rift, leaving a defeated Zemi, lying in the rain, to be captured by the humans of Damcyan.
Chapter 38: In the Name of Luv
Location: Zazo’s Pocket Dimension / Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2009
Zazo pines about Tai, whom she is in love with, but doesn’t understand the meaning of her feelings. Seeing this as an opportunity to preoccupy Zazo, and possibly find a way to be rid of her, Kip discusses love with her, encouraging her to follow up on the feeling. He gives her some tips on wooing an Earthian, and puts the idea of taking on an Earthian form in her head, hoping that it will somehow confine or diminish her power.
Zazo decides to research changing forms, and demands privacy, throwing Kip and Drake out into the DS dimension.
Chapter 39: Dragons of the Blue Planet
Location: Damcyan, BS Realm
Characters Introduced: Silver Dragon
Creation Date: 2009 -2010
King Edward comes to see Zemi, considering him a good dragon. He gives the orders to release Zemi to the rest of the Blue Planet dragons, and those orders are carried out.
Zemi meets with the Blue Planet dragons, including Silver, one of their leaders. They are confused by him, and then fearful when Zemi shows them that he can take a person form. They discuss their grievances with the humans, and indicate that Kain Highwind is one of the last in a line of Dragon Knights that could possibly restore the line.
In the end, the other dragons depart, rejecting Zemi as a dragon of the Blue Planet. However, Silver see the potential in Zemi and encourages him, both as a dragon and in seeking to restore the bonds between humans and dragons.
Chapter 40: Jailbreak
Location: Damcyan, BS Realm / Baron, BS Realm
Creation Date: 2010
Tai and Kory both attempt to find a way to break in the jails to rescue the others. Tai is more successful. He helps Ben and Leona escape, and they collect Kory on the way out of the tunnels under Damcyan.
Ben panic rifts them out of the city, and they end up in BS Cecil’s room. There, Kory tells them that KluYa is trapped in Cecil’s crystal sword, so they steal it to rescue him. On the way out, they are discovered by Junior, whom Tai tosses in a closet to secure an escape. Ben then rifts them back safely to the Borderlands, with the sword.
Chapter 41: Dark and Light
Location: Baron, BS Realm
Creation Date: 2010
BS Cecil comes to talk with Zeb in the jails. At first, Cecil confronts his brother with questions about the recent attacks on the crystals. Eventually, the talk becomes more personal between the brothers, and Zeb lets his armor down to show Cecil his face for the first time.
Junior and Sarafina interrupt the discussion with news that Cecil’s sword was stolen. Zeb has an idea of who stole the sword and why, but when he pleads with Cecil, the king refuses to let him go.
After Cecil leaves, Fang arrives, looking for new criminals to add to her group. She strikes a deal with Zeb, and releases him. However, Zeb has no intention of working for her and escapes, much to her frustration.
Chapter 42: Crystal Sword
Location: Borderlands
Creation Date: 2010
Kory, Ben and Leona debate about how to get KluYa out of the crystal sword. They seek help from Zemi, who tries to win Ben’s trust through explanations. Kory encourages everyone to work together, causing Ben and Zemi to combine energies to release KluYa from the sword.
Earlier, Zemi raided the magical icebox, in his curiosity to learn about food, leaving the kitchen a mess. Leona offers to go pick up food from SAM’S, and heads off. However, when she arrives at SAM’S she finds Kip waiting there, with all the patrons of the restaurant bent to his will.
Chapter 43: Dangerous Demands
Location: Borderlands / Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2010
Leona returns to the Borderlands, bearing food from SAM’S. Inside of Ben’s is a note from Kip, challenging him to come to SAM’S to save the patrons. Ben attempts to leave alone, but Leona and Tai follow him in suspicion.
Kip challenges Ben to an epic bar fight, but Ben is held back when Kip starts using the patrons against him. Tai interrupts the fight, and challenges Kip to allow Leona and Ben to escape. However, when Kip hits Tai with mind magic, it trigger’s Tai’s Marked reflexes, which turns into a very bad fight for Kip.
Ben and Leona escape and alert Kain about what’s going on in SAM’S. Tai eventually discards a very torn up Kip in the back room of the building. When the guards come in to check out the situation, Tai runs away and Kip gets covered by a bunch of sacks. None of the patrons, who are waking up from Kip’s mind magic, can remember what happened to them. The guards also overlook Kip, who is buried in the back room.
Later that night, as Sam is cleaning up, he discovers Kip and his memories of OMEGA return…
Chapter 44: The Barkeep
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2010
Sam and the Waiter have Kip tied up in the back of SAM’S. Kip’s wounds have been wrapped and he’s been given new clothes. When Kip wakes up, he at first threatens them, and tries to force them to let him go. This doesn’t work on the stalwart Sam, who spends some time talking to Kip and trying to understand his situation.
After learning that Kip has lost his family, Sam becomes more sympathetic. Seeing that Kip is good at fixing things, he offers Kip a job in the back room of SAM’S in exchange for food and board. Kip decides to take it, his first attempt at trying to straighten out the mess that his life’s become.
Chapter 45: Dragon’s Servant
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2010
After discovering there is still some Marked left within him, Tai regrets what he did in the fight with his friend, Kip. He finds a secluded place to think about it, only to be visited by Zemi, who tries to cheer him up.
Zemi sincerely apologizes to Tai for not being able to completely remove the Marked from him. He also makes a promise to help make things better for Tai as much as he can. This restores some of Tai’s hopes that things can work out, even if he still struggles to trust Arweinydd.
Chapter 46: Brainstorming
Location: Baron, DS Realm
Creation Date: 2010 – 2011
Ben and Leona discuss recent events and the implications behind dimension travel. DS Cecil appears, and Ben chooses to tell him the truth that OMEGA has returned to the Blue Planet.
They work together to brainstorm an idea on obtaining more information on how to fight OMEGA. Eventually, they decide to travel to the Lunar colony to get advice from FuSoYa. Originally this trip was only supposed to be made by Ben, but Leona begs her way into the expedition as well.
Chapter 47: Backflash the First
Location: Borderlands / KluYa’s Dreams of the Past
Characters Introduced: Miran
Creation Date: 2011
KluYa is asleep as Zeb sneaks into his room to steal back Cecil’s sword. Zeb’s presence influences KluYa to dream about the past when Zeb was a child. He remembers much of young Zeb’s frustrations as the boy desires to learn magic and make a name for himself, often feeling held back by his father.
When KluYa awakes to the sound of thunder, he finds the sword gone.
Chapter 48: Silence of the Light
Location: Borderlands / BS Baron
Characters Introduced: Ax
Creation Date: 2011
Zeb runs from the Borderlands with the sword, with the intention to return it to BS Cecil and win his brother’s trust. However, an angry KluYa follows not far behind.
Zeb instantly strikes out at his father. The damage that KluYa takes causes crackles of light to appear along his arms.
KluYa attempts to talk Zeb out of fighting with him, trying to reason with his son. Zeb is almost swayed by his words, but then KluYa slips and says something wrong, which turns Zeb against him again. Zeb rants at KluYa and the fight begins again, this time with Zeb convinced that KluYa is trying to manipulate him.
Meanwhile, Junior walking home in the rain, sees the light from the battle and comes to investigate what’s going on.
KluYa backs Zeb up against the edge of a cliff during the fight. Zeb falls and catches hold of a branch. Though the fall isn’t far, he’s terrified of hanging there, and KluYa takes pity on him. When KluYa attempts to help Zeb up, Zeb refuses the help, so KluYa leaves him there.
Zeb’s mind starts playing tricks on him, the darkness that still inhabits the dark mater within him attempting to convince him to strike out at his father. Furious, Zeb rebukes both the darkness and his father, pulls himself up the cliff and summons meteo down on KluYa.
In Baron, BS Cecil sees the meteo in the sky and feels that his brother is in trouble. He rushes towards the scene.
When the dust settles, there is no sign of KluYa. But crouched on the cliff above Zeb is his father’s transformed true-form, the white dragon of light, Ax.
Chapter 49: True Form
Location: BS Baron
Creation Date: 2011
KluYa’s dragon form, Ax, is pretty furious with Zeb at this point. He uses light-based attacks, which Zeb is weak to, to strip Zeb’s armor and strike back at him. All this time, the darkness in Zeb’s mind reinforces how terrible and mind-lost KluYa is when in his dragon form.
The darkness tries to tempt Zeb into embracing it, but Zeb declines, even in the face of fighting the dragon. Instead, he pleads with his father, and tells him the reason he took the sword was to give it back to his brother. When Ax strikes again, he takes out the shadows surrounding Zeb, temporarily freeing him from the darkness that tried to control him.
Ax wraps up the sword and places it in Zeb’s lap just as Zeb passes out. Junior and BS Cecil arrive just in time to see Ax beginning to leave. Cecil challenges Ax, thinking that it’s a threat to Zeb, and the white dragon he blames for the death of his family. Ax, however flies away, leaving Cecil fuming.
Cecil takes the sword from Zeb, recognizing that his brother was trying to bring it to him. He prevents Junior from locking him up. Instead, he bandages Zeb’s wounds, makes an excuse for Zeb and orders Junior to watch over Zeb until the morning.
When Zeb wakes up, he finds himself bandaged, and an emblem of Baron that Cecil left with him. Junior is grouchy about the whole thing, feeling that Zeb is a criminal and should be under lock and key.
Meanwhile, Ben has arrived, checking out the damage done by Zeb’s meteo spell. He catches sight of the diappearing white dragon , that feels like his father, which leaves him with many questions. He then finds Junior and Zeb arguing out in the forest.
Ben and Zeb try to have a conversation about what just happened, but Junior keeps popping up between them. The two Golbei decide to send him home so they can talk in peace.
Chapter 50: Coming to Terms
Location: BS Baron / Borderlands
Creation Date: 2011
Ben and Zeb discuss KluYa’s dragon form. Zeb also confides about his muddle memories and the darkness that tries to tempt him.
Zeb explains the rules of crystal masters from his dimension, and what it means to have a true form. The two Golbei part, Zeb going to Baron and Ben heading back to the Borderlands. Junior sees the rift close as they leave, his suspicions growing even more.
Back in the Borderlands, KluYa, back in person form, wakes up on the roof of the Cottage. When faced with Ben, he senses Ben’s suspicions and becomes nervous.
Unaware of what has just happened, Leona is fixing breakfast for everyone. Naturally, KluYa is the first to arrive at the table, eating ravenously when food arrives. Ben starts to drop lines about Dragons, attempting to pressure KluYa to come out with the truth.
When Zemi displays curiosity for pancakes, KluYa feeds him for the first time. This triggers an unexpected hunger response in Zemi, showing that he’s slowly becoming more Earthian.
Finally, after Ben drops enough dragon hints, KluYa caves in and tells the truth about his dragon form.