About an hour after leaving Laike behind, the party noticed the temperature getting much colder. Lia looked up at the angle of the sun and the current time of day. From this information, she told the party that she felt they were nearing the Arctic Circle, and that was the explanation of the cooling weather. Lou picked up a stick and cast a Flame spell on it, hoping that the fire would help keep them warm. Unfortunately, they would not be able to hold on to the stick for long as they were jumped by a pack of razor wolves. Lou tried another Flame spell on a wolf, but it was simply too weak to have a substantial effect. Forgetting about magic, he took out his sword and started with the blade to claw combat. With two hits of the sword, the wolf was dead. Alexis and Ken sliced and pounded two more wolves into submission, while Lia finished off the rest of the pack with a Fire Ring spell. The party of five had won their first battle without Laike. Lou felt a new spell form in his head at the end of this battle. He asked the party if he could try it out on some dead trees.

"Sure," Lia replied, "Hopefully it will boost your ego a bit after the disappointment of your Flame spell."

Lou chanted the name of the spell, "Flamer!" Again, he was disappointed as this spell turned out to simply be a version of Flame that could hit multiple enemies, instead of a single enemy.

"Better luck next time Lou," said his friend Ken. "Look on the bright side, you're getting pretty good with that sword, and maybe the reason your magic is so pitiful right now is so that you can improve your swordsmanship."

"Yeah, I suppose so. However, I hate it when I get nailed by these monsters while you guys stand back and toast them with magic."

"Everything happens for a reason," answered Luke, "Look at me. I always wanted to be a healer and check out the spells I have now."

"Besides," added Alexis, "we still need someone to start those campfires, hehe..."

The party continued towards the White Dragon cave as the weather got colder and colder. Throughout the many battles encountered along the way, everyone gained new magic spells except for Lou. However, Lou's swordsmanship continued to improve with each battle until it began to rival even Alexis's. Once the member of the party most likely to be killed in battle, Lou became one of its strongest fighters and had begun to assume a leadership role. He always had a habit of assuming some sort of leadership when any group he was in lacked it, and this was no exception.

After three days of walking, battling, and freezing, they finally reached the cave of the White Dragon. As Laike had mentioned, on the way to the cave they came across several chests containing armor, shields, a mace, and a magician's robe, all divvied up among the appropriate members of the party. The five entered cautiously into the ice-cold cavern. Lou asked the party to save as much magic as possible so that they could use it against the White Fiend that guarded the prison of the White Dragon. This proved to make the battles with regular monsters, which were on their own much stronger than those outside the cave, even more difficult. However, at this point the party was strong enough not to be in too much danger. Finally, several levels down, they located the White Fiend. This twisted creature had the appearance of a Dragon, but deformed and distorted to look like the evil creation it was. Hanging around its neck is the White Dragon Aura. Lou, Alexis, Ken, Lia, and Luke gritted their teeth, prepared their most powerful spells and attacks, and began to battle the Fiend.

Lou went first. Knowing that his Flame magic was too weak to possibly hurt the Fiend, he went after it with his blade. Nothing... The sword barely even scratched the Fiend.

"Guys, I can't hurt this thing!" he shouted, "It's gonna be up to you to get the AAAAAAHHHH!"

Lou was thrown across the chamber when the arm of the Fiend smacked him. Dazed and barely conscious, he stayed in the back of the chamber until his head cleared enough to rejoin the battle.

The battle was not going well for the remaining four members of the party. Luke was using his healing magic like crazy, casting Litany after Litany to keep his new friends alive. Alexis was Flash Blading the Fiend over and over, performing lots of damage, but not the final killing blow. Ken's martial art skills also contributed to the battle, his Haduken hurting the Fiend badly, but not badly enough. Lia conjured up every spell she could think of, but none of them had any more effect than the others' efforts. What they needed to defeat this monster was one more person who could help in battle, but Lou was still dazed and lacked the magic power needed to hurt the Fiend.

Lou's head finally cleared. He saw what was happening and picked up his sword. Even if he could not injure the Fiend, he would not sit back while it killed his friends. Suddenly, he felt a new spell forming in his mind, but it was different from the two spells he already knew. Perhaps this spell would even the odds against this monster. He lifted his sword and started casting his new spell. "POE SWORD!" he screamed. The room darkened as Lou leapt high in the air and slashed the Fiend with a devastating blow before jumping back to safety. Finally, Lou had a spell he could actually use in battle. With the aid of this new spell, the party was finally able to defeat the White Fiend and reclaim the White Dragon's Aura. They walked into the next room, and Lou threw the Aura at the large white crystal in the chamber. The crystal vanished in a flash of white light, and a large white dragon appeared in its place.

"I don't know how to thank you," said the Dragon, "I'm Nall, the White Dragon, oldest and leader of the Dragon Tribe. I appreciate what you are doing for me, Lucia, and this world. However, time is short, you must free the other three Dragons before Ghaleon is able to destroy the Blue Star. Now, here's a little something that should help you on your trip."

Nall handed the White Dragon Crest to Lou. He held it in his palm, and realized that it allowed the wearer to cast a powerful defensive spell called White Dragon Protect. He handed it to Lia, saying, "Take this Lia. You're the most powerful magician here, I think you'll be able to make the most use of this thing."

Lia began to cast the Psychotron spell, which would allow them to teleport outside the cave when Nall stopped her.

"Hey wait!" yelled Nall, "I'll give you a ride for a little bit. I suggest you visit my good friend Ruby, the Red Dragon next. I'll fly you to within walking distance of her volcanic home. Oh, and Lou is it? I have one more gift, but this one is just for you." Nall handed Lou the White Dragon Wings. "Here, take this. It'll warp you to just about anywhere you've ever been in your life as well as teleport you out of caves if needed. It took long enough, but these babies finally got all their power back and more. They'll also have another little surprise for you when you're ready for it. OK, let's get going now!"

Nall carried the five on his back to a distant volcanic island where the Red Dragon made her home.

The five began to enter the forest that led to the Red Dragon's volcano. Out of nowhere, a tall figure in dark armor appeared.

"Who are you?" asked Lia.

"I am Magic Emperor Ghaleon. I see you five have been busy trying to stop me and freeing the Four Dragons. I won't let you do this. Not that it matters, really. My Neo Grindery is nearing completion, and my armies have already taken control of the world's capitals. Without magic, all your fearsome technology is laughable. Hahahahahaha! But enough gloating, it's not time to bring your quest to a permanent end..."

"Quickly Lia!" Lou screamed, "Use the White Dragon Protect spell!"

"Right!" she answered, and immediately the power of the White Dragon appeared and shielded the young heroes from the force of Ghaleon's Demon Breath spell. Following this, Lou Poe Sworded, Alexis Flash Bladed, Ken Hadukened, and Luke Light Litanied Ghaleon, at which the Magic Emperor simply laughed.

"Hahahahah," he snickered, "Your pitiful magic is useless on me. The only spells that you possess now that can have any affect on me are your Dragon Spells, of which you only have one, and a defensive one at that!"

Lou felt more words form inside his head. He was beginning to learn yet another spell. "Not any more, punk!" he answered, "Eat this! DRAGON BOLT!"

A large electrical Dragon flew upwards to the sky from Lou's body. It caused enormous bolts of lightning to rain down on Ghaleon, visibly injuring him.

"How," Ghaleon panted, "How could you have cast that spell. Only a budding Drag... No! I refuse to believe that you can wield such power! Prepare to die, Dragonboy!"

Instantly Laike teleported to the forest. "Stop right there Ghaleon!"

"Hmm, so we finally meet again... Laike, is that what you call yourself now? I thought you were done for all those eons ago. What an interesting plot twist it is to see you here..."

"Your evil should have been destroyed when you were defeated by Dragonmaster Alex! You do not belong here in this world. You should have never been created at all, and if it wasn't for my mistakes in the past you never would have been!"

"Now, now, now. Without me, you would have never became what you were and what you are now, remember that. Besides, everyone deserves a second chance. You got yours and you used it how you saw fit, and now it's my turn! However, I don't have time to trifle with you. I need to get back to overseeing the construction of my Neo Grindery. I guess I'll be seeing you again when the time is ripe..."

Lou was still stunned at the immense amount of magic power he gained. It begun when he was able to cast the Poe Sword spell, and it continued with his Dragon Bolt spell. "Where did that come from?" he thought.

Laike walked over to Lou and patted his shoulder. "Hmm, I would have never thought it, but you are the one Lou."

"What do you mean Laike?"

"The fact that you have the White Dragon Wings and that you were able to cast the Dragon Bolt spell proves that you are the one of the five destined to lead and become the Dragonmaster!"

"Dragonmaster? I don't follow..."

"Lou, a Dragonmaster is the ultimate warrior that can exist. He possesses both all the pieces of equipment the Dragons give to him as well as the ability to use their magic. You have both the White Dragon's equipment and his power. Your freeing him has won his approval as well for you to become Dragonmaster. All you need to do is free the other Dragons, get their equipment, prove yourself at Lucia's tower to get Althena's Sword, ask the Dragons for their approval, and voila, you're it my boy!"

"What about us then? Why are we here?" asked the remaining four.

"Even a Dragonmaster, as powerful as he is, can't always do his job on his own. That's why he's assisted by the Four Heroes -- four warriors whose power approaches that of the Dragonmaster himself. You are the Four Heroes, or you will be by the time Lou over there becomes a full-fledged Dragonmaster. Anyway, now that that's taken care of, you'd better get running to the Red Dragon Cave. I'll see you later..."

As the five walked towards their next obstacle, Laike stared up at the sky and spoke quietly. "Are you watching, wherever you are, old friend? I hope I am doing as well in guiding Lou to fulfill his destiny as Dragonmaster as when you had to do the job yourself so long ago." After this, he disappeared again...

The warriors soon approached a volcano located on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The heat was unbearable, but the five pressed onward within the volcano. Carefully they avoided the rivers of boiling lava that flowed around them as the continued on, trying to locate the Red Fiend that possessed the Aura of the Red Dragon. Throughout their entire journey, they were harassed by various denizens of the cave that had been corrupted by the dark magic emanating from the Fiend. Battle after battle, the party was slowly being worn down. If they did not find the Red Fiend soon, they would lack the necessary strength needed to defeat him. Suddenly, the ground fell from underneath their feet, and the party tumbled to a dark cavern below. When they regained their consciousness, they noticed that a strange blue statue stood next to a hole in the wall that led to a neighboring chamber within the volcano. Lou proceeded to try to get a better look at the statue, and when he accidentally brushed it with his arm, he suddenly felt all his strength returning to him. "Hey everybody!" he shouted, "Check this statue out! If you touch it, it'll restore all your strength. I have no idea how it works, but it does, and that's all that matters, right?" After hearing about the wondrous healing power of the statue from the Dragonmaster-to-be, the other four touched it and healed their wounds before proceeding into the next chamber to find. . .

The Red Fiend attacked! It slashed across the entire party with the claws of one of its forelimbs, wounding the team, but fortunately not enough to kill any of them. It then proceeded to change color, which gave Lou a bad feeling in his gut.

"Hey Lia, use that White Dragon Crest now! I have a feeling that this guy is gonna nuke us with something very nasty!"

"I'm on it, Lou! White Dragon Protect it is!"

Lia cast the powerful Dragon spell, and soon the entire party was protected by an invisible shield that deflected the full force of the Fiend's magical attack.

"OK guys, we know what that sucker is gonna zap us. Lia, whenever he changes color, raise our shields! I betcha his brethren follow the same pattern as well, so keep an eye out when we free the other Dragons. Now, it's payback time!"

Ken went first. He leaped high in the air towards the monster, pressed his fists together and shot an intense ball of energy towards the Fiend. It was stunned, and driven back.

Luke followed, chanted some words in an obscure tongue, and caused a rain of stars to fall upon the heroes, healing the wounds they had suffered thus far.

Lia, after casting the White Dragon Protect spell, followed it up with a giant spike of ice falling upon the Fiend, wounding it severely.

Lou decided to use his Dragon Bolt spell on it, which was ineffective.

"Dammit!" Lou shouted, "That Aura must protect it from other Dragon magics. Guess I'll have to rely on my trusty Poe Sword on this punk!" He then quickly followed his words up with a devastating attack from his blade.

The battle raged on for nearly an hour, until at least the Fiend was defeated. The party proceeded to throw the Dragon Aura at the crystal, freeing the Red Dragon, or so they thought. What they got instead was a young woman with unusually pink hair.

"Hey!" the woman shouted, "Thanks for letting me out of that crystal! Man, it was cramped in there!"

"Who are you?" asked Alexis, "I thought we were supposed to free the Red Dragon. You're just another person, like us, except with a bad dye job on your hair!"

"Don't knock the hair! Lemme guess, you guys freed Nall first, right? He must've kept his dragon form when you freed him. Always was a showoff. Well, my name is Ruby, and I am the Red Dragon. Nall must've conveniently forgot to mention that he and I know a trick to make us look human. If you don't believe me, check this out!"

Ruby then proceeded to spit fire at a piece of old wood lying in the corner of the room.

"OK, we believe you Ruby," Lou answered, "Only a dragon can do that trick out of the blue. So, we freed you. Can you help us free the others?"

"Sure thing, Lou. First, let's get the gift-giving out of the way. Lou, here's my shield for you. Looks like you're gonna get some REAL fire magic now. Just don't torch too many things, OK? Took me and Nall forever to clean up my mess when I accidentally set off that forest fire a few centuries back. Here, you might need this as well. I guess you Alexis would probably have most use of my Crest, figuring you're a such a good swordswoman, and this puppy will up your strength a fair amount, as well as letting you torch things, hehehe."

"Thanks Ruby," Lou replied, "so, can you give us a lift to the next Dragon's cave?"

"I'll do more than that. When I came here from Lunar way back when, I brought a gift for my best friend Hiro, goddess bless his soul. Sadly, he isn't here to use it anymore, but I think he'd want you to use it. You sure do need some sort of transportation. Follow me."

Ruby opened a hidden door in her chamber that revealed a dark staircase. She lead the five heroes down the stairs to a hidden cave that opens to the sea. Within the cave was the most magnificent ship ever seen on this world.

"Here ya go, the Dragonship Destiny, the most powerful battleship ever built on this world or Lunar. Its Dragon Cannon may come in handy in battle, and the fact that it can take you just about anywhere on land or water can get your around this Blue Star of yours fairly quick. Enjoy! By the way, try not to mess up the paint job. It hasn't had a scratch on it for the past few thousand years. Also, there's a statue of Althena on board you can use to heal yourselves after battle. Azura, the Blue Dragon, has her cave southeast of here deep in a South American jungle, behind a waterfall. Good luck, we're counting on you guys!"

The five heroes board the Destiny and set sail towards the rain forest. Suddenly, thunder crackles in the sky as the Magic Emperor appears on the deck of the ship!

"My, my, my. Two Dragons freed, two to go. I don't think I can let you get any further now, you're becoming too much of a nuisance. Sorry heroes, your quest is over!"

"I think not Magic Emperor!" boomed another voice from the back of the ship. Laike suddenly appeared in a flash of light and lightning. "I will not let you destroy this world like you almost did so many eons ago!"

"But without you, I wouldn't be here Laike. You created me after all. Hmm, are you still going by that name? Why haven't you been truthful with your pupils and told them that your name is really Ghaleon!"

The heroes gasped. "Ghaleon!? How can this be? Ghaleon is the Magic Emperor! Laike can't be Ghaleon."

The hooded figure then answered the questioning heroes. "Yes, my name is really Ghaleon. I took the name my old friend Dyne used when he wanted to remain incognito as I feared you may not trust me if you knew my real name. However, that Ghaleon and I are not the same. It's a long, sad story as to what happened between us."

"Enough!" shouted the Magic Emperor. "I will end this charade now. But first, I need to get my lesser half out of the way. Kane! Please get rid of this pitiful excuse of a man who's using my name!"

A voice boomed from behind Laike/Ghaleon, "My pleasure, my lord. HELL WAVE!"

A large dark circle appeared below the Ghaleon who was not Magic Emperor. A strange force launched him high into the sky and dropped him hard onto the deck of the ship.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Lou, "You will pay for this. DRAGON FIRE!"

A fiery image of a dragon appeared above Lou and set the Demonmaster and the Magic Emperor ablaze.

"Ahhhh!" shouted Evil Ghaleon as he writhed in pain, "Curse you and that lucky shot you had... Mark my words, next time we meet, you will not be so fortunate, especially as my weaker half is no longer here to protect you. Farewell, for now..."

The team surrounded the barely conscious body of the Ghaleon that protected them. Ghaleon went on to explain how there could be two of him before he passed on yet again:

"Well... Sorry I can't be there for you anymore, but I think I have some explaining to do. Long ago, my friend Dyne died, or so I thought, only to find out later he was alive. Dyne was a Dragonmaster back on the world of Lunar. He was sent on a mission by the goddess Althena to seal the power of the Black Dragon after he went insane, an impossible task. Everyone, including myself, believed that Dyne had died, but he had only lost his magic power and secretly still lived under the name of Laike, the same name I took when I came here to help you. However, before I learned that he still lived, I was enraged that the goddess did this to my best friend, and I sought revenge on her by taking over her world. My rage and lust for vengeance was so strong that it created a demon composed of these emotions inside me. Once this demon was created, I could no longer stop my destiny from being carried forth, even though I had learned that Dyne was still alive. Eventually, Dragonmaster Alex, the last Dragonmaster before you, met me in battle and defeated me in my regular form, unleashing the demon inside me. Alex defeated this demon as well, and I thought that I would finally be able to rest in peace now that he was destroyed. One thousand years after that, the dark god Zophar brought me back to life, thinking that I would help him get revenge against Althena due to my past actions. However, he failed to realize that it was only my demon half that had been formed in my previous rage that contained my feelings of vengeance. I used the time Zophar granted me to fool him and atone for my ways, and my actions then is why I feel Lucia decided to call upon me when my demon half somehow found a way to restore himself back to the world of the living. Lou, you've proven yourself worthy of becoming a Dragonmaster in my eyes. Here, take my sword. You will need all the help you can get until you get Althena's Sword. Once you do, please give my sword to Alexis as she'll need some powerful weaponry as well, and by that point she should be able to handle my sword as well. Now it's time to end this period of deja vu with some words I used before for another swordsman I met long ago. OK, you know the drill, hopefully as well as I do as I've done this sort of thing before. Go Lou! Save your world, fight hard, and believe in your friends! It is up to you five alone now to defeat my evil half!" Ghaleon then closed his eyes, and faded into nothingness, only his armor and his hood remaining. The party promised to give his clothes a proper burial once they find a place fitting of Ghaleon, and sadly went on to their next goal.

Back at the Neo Grindery construction site, Ghaleon met with Kane to discuss what to do now that Lou was two-fifths of the way towards becoming a Dragonmaster.

"Kane."

"Yes, my lord?"

"I want you to provide some insurance against Lou becoming a Dragonmaster. I want you to go to the Blue Dragon Cave and destroy the crystal that she's imprisoned within."

"But Emperor, why didn't you destroy it when you entrapped her?"

"Wait, I'm not done. In order for the Dragon Auras to work, and for the Fiends that draw upon their powers to live, the Dragons must remain alive, and that's why I imprisoned them instead of killing them. Therefore, I want you to wait in the Blue Dragon's chamber in case Lou and his party somehow defeat the Blue Fiend. If they do, I want you to smash the crystal apart!"

"As you wish, your majesty. I'm off now!"

"Good, hehehehhe. Finally, I'll get that nuisance Lou out of my hair. Without the power of the Blue Dragon, he can't become a Dragonmaster, and this world will be mine. Once this world is under my control, I will combine it's formidable technology with my magic power, and break the seal Lucia placed on Lunar. Soon, both the Silver Star and the Blue Star will be under my control! Hahahahahahahaha!"

However, Ghaleon did not realize that one of the Blue Dragon's kin had escaped his trap...

Teal had flown as far as she could trying to find the person her mother told her to locate. She promised that she would give the ring to him, but her mother refused to say why she had to go on this mission. All that Teal knew was that her mother was worried and frightened and had been having strange dreams in the weeks before she left. At this point, however, she did not care. She just wanted to go home.

The Destiny finally came ashore in western South America. A short while after landfall, they came across some nearly perfectly preserved Inca ruins. The crew all felt that this would be the ideal place to bury their departed friend, Laike/Ghaleon. They got off the ship, and proceeded to have a makeshift service for the man who had saved their lives so many times, and who lost it in the line of duty. There was not a dry eye among the five as they said their final farewells and boarded the Destiny for the deep jungle.

It was an uneventful ride to the Blue Dragon's waterfall. The heroes left the ship after healing at the on-board statue, and entered the cave. After a mild soaking from the waterfall, nothing of consequence happened until they heard a strange crying coming from behind a rock. Lou investigated, and found the strangest creature he had ever seen.

"What is it?" his friends asked.

"You're not gonna believe this, but it looks like a blue cat with wings!"

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not!"

Suddenly, the cat spoke, still crying, but somehow forceful, "Mr., I am not a cat!"

"What are you then, and why are you crying?"

"I... I'm not supposed to tell anyone, my mother said not to! However, that doesn't matter much anymore as my mother's gone!"

"Gone, what do you mean?" replied Lou.

"She's not there, all that's left of her is a glowing crystal!"

"Glowing crystal? Wait a minute, are you telling me your mother is the Blue Dragon?"

"How... How did you know?"

"Umm, we sorta ran into this situation before. We're here to free your mother, and all the Dragons."

"You are?"

"Yes. Oh, I forgot, my name is Lou. Those are my friends, Ken, Alexis, Lia, and Luke."

"Lou... Did you say your name is Lou?"

"Yes, why?"

"My mom told me to give this to you. She also said that if anything happened to her, I should stay close to you."

"Wait a second there, how do you know I'm the right Lou?"

"I... I don't know. I just feel it somehow. It's so strange... I wish my mother was here! She'd be able to explain everything to me! I don't know what's going on at all!" cried the young Dragon.

"There, there. It'll be all right. If your mom said I'm supposed to take care of you, then take care of you I will! By the way, do you have a name?"

"It's Teal. Here. Take this, it's the gift my mom said to give you."

Teal hands Lou a strange blue ring shaped like a Dragon.

"Thanks Teal. I appreciate it, even though I'm not sure what it does, if anything."

"Well, I think I was supposed to give it to you a long time ago, before you visited any other Dragons, but I couldn't find you. Sorry I'm so late with this gift, will you forgive me?"

"How can I not forgive a cute little blue furball like you, hehe," he laughed. Lou's laugh and warm smile managed to calm Teal down, and she smiled back, perhaps as if she felt safe for the first time since she found out her mother was gone.

"OK guys, let's go free Teal's mother, now! We got work to do!"

"Lead on, Lou!" replied the rest of the group.

The party of six soon reached the bottom of the cave, led by Teal who had lived here nearly her entire life. She stopped and said, "There's a terrible monster behind that door, but it's the only way to get to my mom! I had to sneak by very carefully to get to her last time, but I'm not sure you're small enough to make it!"

"Don't worry Teal, we've dealt with two of these things before. We can deal with one more. We'll free your mom before you know it!"

"Thanks Lou, I'm countin' on you, you know!"

The five heroes entered the next chamber and discovered, to no real surprise, the Blue Fiend guarding the Aura of the Blue Dragon. Lou unleashed his Poe Sword right away, remembering that possession of the Aura protected the Fiend from his Dragon magic. Alexis followed that up with a Flash Blade, and Lia alternated between Flame Bombs and White Dragon protects as needed. Luke made sure wounds were healed quickly, and Ken unleashed moves on the Fiend that would have put any martial-arts film to shame. This Fiend would fall much more quickly than the previous two now that the team had established strategies for defeating them. Lou picked up the Dragon Aura, shouted that things were safe for Teal to join them, and entered the Blue Dragon's chamber.

Kane had heard the battle outside the chamber, and instantly smashed the crystal with Zophar's Sword as soon as the Fiend died. He could not escape before Lou and company caught him just after the act.

"Kane!" shouted Lou, "What have you done!"

"Nothing of importance," he replied, "I'm just following Ghaleon's orders by preventing you from becoming a Dragonmaster. He didn't tell me to fight you, however, so if you don't mind I have other business to attend to now that it's impossible for you to stop us. Hahahahahah!" With these words, Kane vanished within a mist of darkness.

"Nooooooo!" cried Teal, "Anything but this! You promised, Lou! You promised you'd free my mother!"

"I... I'm sorry Teal, there's nothing I could have done, he must've been waiting for us to defeat the Fiend and smashed the crystal before we could come in here. I... don't know what to say..."

Teal started sobbing heavily again. Suddenly, the Blue Dragon Aura started to glow, and a strange bluish flame appeared in front of the group."

"Now, now Teal. It's OK, please don't cry sweetie."

"M-m-m-m-m-mom? Is that you?"

"In spirit, Teal. Friends, I am the spirit of the Blue Dragon, Azura. I'm sorry I can't be there in person to guide you in this time, but I foresaw this event in a dream even before you were born Teal. The time isn't quite right for you to claim the Dragon Aura and take my place yet, you're still much too young. However, use it to obtain the Blue Dragon Crest and Helmet for Lou and his friends, just like I told you before you left. Only you Lou can use the Helmet, but the Crest can be used by anyone to increase the speed of their blows so that they can hit an enemy with many more blows than they normally would in a given amount of time. Now, Teal, please, don't cry anymore. I'm here with my ancestors, and I'm feeling perfectly fine. Be a strong little Blue Dragon, for me, OK sweetie? And remember, stay close to Lou. He'll protect you until you are ready to fully claim your title as the Blue Dragon. Farewell..."

The flame faded into nothingness as Teal turned towards Lou.

"I'm sorry I blew up at you like that, I know you did your best."

"It's OK Teal, things like that happen. No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings! So Lou, let's get out of here. We gotta free Ebony, the Black Dragon, before Ghaleon and Kane realize that there was still a Blue Dragon left for you to get your power from. Let's go!"

"You heard the furball guys! Back to the Destiny, pronto!"

Teal quickly guided the five heroes through her cave. However, when they reached the exit they found an obstacle blocking them from the Destiny.

"Halt!" the menacing figure screamed, "Magic Emperor Ghaleon sent me to make sure you five stop bothering him. He remembered how Alex managed to fool him into thinking that it was impossible for a new Dragonmaster to arise, and he won't make the same mistake twice. He would have sent Kane but he is needed to work on the Neo Grindery. No matter. I, Gheltron, leader of Ghaleon's legions of metal will stop you!"

Gheltron pulled out an enormous sword and sliced across the entire party, wounding them severely. Luke managed to heal the party before Gheltron could get another hit in, and the five fell back and regrouped.

"Who is this guy?" Ken asked, "he's at least ten feet tall! How the hell are we supposed to get past him! He doesn't seem to use any magic either so White Dragon Protect is useless against stopping his attacks as well!"

"Well, sometimes they say the best defense is a good offense Ken," Lou replied, "I think we should use these cool new toys the Blue Dragon gave us and put this guy's butt in a sling so to speak. You with me?!"

"You got it Lou!" answered Ken.

"What about the rest of you. We're going to need all the firepower we can get against Andre the Giant over there!"

"You can count on us!"

"Right! Let's get to it."

Lou started the battle with his new spell, Dragon Tear. A huge bluish dragon image appeared above him and flew towards Gheltron, bombarding him with enormous boulders of ice. Lia added an ice attack of her own to the mix, and Alexis used her bread-and-butter move, Flash Blade. The crowning moment of the battle came however when Ken unleashed the power of the Blue Dragon Crest. Never before had he moved so quickly and hit so hard. After the intense pummeling at the hands of this martial arts master, Gheltron lied in pieces next to the waterfall.

"What the... This guy's a robot of some sort!" yelled Luke.

"But how... I didn't think it was possible to build this sophisticated a robot," Lia followed.

"Ghaleon somehow must have found some way to do it, perhaps by combining magic with technology," guessed Lou, "Guess this means we have both his immense magic power and his formidable technology to deal with. Great, that's all I needed. Well, no time to waste here! Back to the Destiny! By the way Teal, do you know the way to Ebony's cave?"

"Sorta, Lou. My mom said he lived in a desert or something somewhere north of here. Apparently, some local tribe or something worshipped him as a god and build a temple over the entrance of his cave. I think I know the way though from here. I used to visit him with my mom all the time as they were closer to each other than they were to the rest of the Dragons."

"OK, thanks Teal! Next stop, Ebony's temple!"

The Destiny came to rest somewhere in the middle of an extremely arid Central American plateau. Within walking distance were several large pyramids, the largest of which was in the center. The central pyramid was crowned with an altar made from what appeared to be solid onyx. The heroes climbed up the steps and entered the pyramid by a door located just below the altar. It was dark inside, and it seemed as if no one had been here for thousands of years. They came across a staircase and followed it down towards the base, where they found a large cave entrance. They entered the cave and proceeded to search for the Black Dragon.

They proceed down deeper in the cave. It gets darker and darker the deeper they go. Soon they come across an opening in the wall leading to a large cavern. The five heroes hear growling noises inside and know what to expect. They prepare their battle-gear and enter the chamber...

The Black Fiend attacks mercilessly. However, our heroes were able to block his attack in the nick of time with White Dragon Protect. Once the Fiend's attack was block, the group went to work with Poe Sword, Flash Blade, Blue Dragon Vigor, Pressure Cooker, and various healing litanies. Soon, nothing was left of the Black Fiend except for the Black Dragon's Aura and a cloud of smoke. Lou picks up the Aura and proceeds to walk into the Black Dragon's sanctuary. He throws the Aura against the crystal, and Ebony is finally freed.

"Thank you for freeing me!" shouted Ebony, "I was beginning to think I'd be stuck in that cramped crystal forever!"

"Glad to be of service, Ebony." replied Lou, "Anything else I can do?"

"Not really... Still, it's nice to get a visitor who isn't intent on trapping me inside a crystal or stealing my power or something like that. Well now, I guess you came to get my stuff. I might as well give it to you so you can save the world and all that. You know the drill."

"Thanks you big black furball!"

"Dammit, don't call me that, Dragon-ditz! Just think, I used to be revered as a god, and now I'm reduced to being called a furball!"

"Listen Uncle Ebony, we got work to do. Now isn't the time for you to complain about being called a furball! Just give him your armor and your crest so we can get going!" answers Teal.

"Very well then Teal... By the way, how's your mother?"

"My mother?" Teal starts to cry.

Lou responds, "Uhh, Ebony? Kane managed to kill Teal's mother before we could get to her..."

"What! How could you let him kill Azura!"

"We didn't have a choice. He got there before we did..."

"You are slow! I should've known not to trust you humans, but no, Azura told me I should give you a chance..."

Teal finally steps in, still crying, "Stop this Uncle Ebony! I know how close you and mom were, but don't let your frustrations out on Lou, he did what he could!"

Lou now yells out, "See what you did you overgrown furball! You made her cry again!" Lou then holds Teal and tries to comfort her.

"I... I'm sorry Teal. I didn't mean to hurt you. Lou, I guess I'll give you the armor and the crest after all. Just don't call me 'furball." I hated when that other Lou called me that and I hate it now, OK?"

"No problem, uhh, furball!"

"Uggh. You know, you remind me way too much of someone I knew long, long ago, but here is my armor and my crest..."

"Thanks Ebony."

"Don't mention it. Now head for the Himalayas. You should find Lucia's tower there somewhere. Good luck, Dragon-ditz!"

"Hey..."

With that final comment on the part of the Black Dragon, he finally gives the Black Dragon Armor and Black Dragon Crest to Lou, and the heroes set course for the Himalayas and Lucia's tower, but not before Lou and Teal exchange a few words about Ebony.

"Hey Teal, what's the deal with this other guy Ebony was talking about back there? You know, the one I reminded him of?"

"Oh, him? I don't know really. He was someone both he and my mom knew from waaayyy back, back when they were still kids like me."

"Really? Doesn't sound like he had a high opinion of him for some reason."

"Don't let it get to you. He and that guy never really knew each other to begin with. I guess you just sort of looked like him or something."

"True, but he didn't seem excited about handing over his armor and crest to me."

"Oh, well, he's been very grumpy since that tribe that worshipped him as a god became extinct. I guess he misses the attention."

"Yeah, that would do it for me too I guess, hehe."

"Yeah, well anyway, this guy helped Uncle Ebony and a bunch of other people save the world from an evil god, so things turned out OK in the end. Heck, I think that guy may have even become a Dragonmaster too, just like you, though I don't remember. I do remember one thing that did help get him going though, that evil god kidnapped his girlfriend. You'd think it would be written in some rule book for evil-doers somewhere that it's a dumb idea to kidnap a potential Dragonmaster's, or any other kick-butt hero's, girlfriend."

"Well, Ghaleon doesn't have that to worry about..."

"Cheer up Lou. Don't you know that Dragonmasters get all the babes! I'm sure you'll do just fine!"

"We'll see Teal, we'll see. Right now, however, I got a world to save!"

Meanwhile, the Neo Grindery was nearing completion. Magic Emperor Ghaleon was observing events unfold with great interest from his chamber in the top floor of the mechanical monstrosity.

"Hmm, that idiot Kane! He missed that blue furball! Damn, that Dragonboy is now nearing Lucia's tower. If he manages to get to her and pass the trial... Well, it could be worse, I could have kidnapped his girlfriend... Kane! Get in here!"

"Yes, my lord?"

"You fool! Didn't you know that baby Dragons look like flying cats?"

"Umm, no. Sorry your majesty, but I know nothing about Dragons..."

"No, I guess you don't. Still, that's no excuse for your failure! Hmm, no matter. Anyway Kane, that fool Dragonboy is on his way to the Blue Star Tower to try to free Lucia. If you can keep him from becoming a Dragonmaster, all will be forgiven. If you fail, don't even bother coming back! Do you understand?!"

"Yes my lord! I will honor you by smearing his blood across the landscape!"

With these words, Kane vanished in a swirling black mist.

"Good," thought Ghaleon, "Hopefully that Demonmaster won't fail this time. Even if he does he is of no use to me. He doesn't realize that the only power he possesses is contained within his armor and sword, and with the Four Fiends dead he has no new source of power to draw upon should anything happen to them. Still, if that weakling Lou were to become Dragonmaster, he could be as great a threat as Alex was. I should make all the necessary preparations. This time, I'll be ready for you Dragonmaster! Hahahahahahahahhahaha!"

Alexis shouts out "Himalayas ho!" as the Destiny arrives at its final destination. The mighty Dragonship pulls up along side a small cave leading towards a hidden valley. The heroes get off the ship, and proceed to enter the cave.

"You sure this is the right way, Lou?" asks Ken, "I mean, don't you think a tower as important as this one would be easier to spot?"

"Yeah, Lou," follows Lia, "I doubt that we'll find anything here."

"Umm, I kinda have to side with Lia and Ken there, Lou," says Alexis, "Besides, it's way too cold and isolated here? Who the heck would want to live in this neck of the woods?"

Lou replies, "Hey, these are the directions I got from Ebony! If we're lost blame him, but personally I think that if I were a goddess living on this world, I would want to stay hidden, especially if you have the same sorts of secrets about magic and stuff that she has that could really mess up civilization as we know it."

"Good point, Lou," adds Luke, "Let's just get this done quickly though. It's cooooold out here!"

The quintet finally gets out the other side of the cave to find themselves in an enourmous valley. Above them lie various rock formations spanning the valley, almost giving it a roof while still allowing just enough light in to see by. In the middle of the valley lies a seven story tower made of some sort of blue stone. "This is it Lou!" Teal yells excitedly, "That has to be the Blue Star Tower!"

"Right you are furbrain!" yells a mysterious voice. Suddenly, Demonmaster Kane appears with his trademark black mist. "Hehehe, I'm glad you found your way here! This place will make a fitting grave for you six!"

"Hit the deck Teal!" yells Lou, "This guy is ours! Kane, it's time to die!"

"Right you are, Dragonboy! Hehehe, right you are! It's been fun while it lasted, but it will go on no further. Hell Wave!"

A dark circle appears under the party. Teal yells, "Get away from that circle guys! If that spell hits you you're dead meat!"

The heroes manage to barely evade the pulse of dark energy as it showers down where the dark circle was.

"Damn you cat! I'm going to feed you to my pit bull once I'm finished with your friends. Don't worry, you so-called heroes. I have plenty more where that came from! As long as I have my sword, I will never run out of magic, hahahahaha!"

Kane proceeds to completely ignore the party as he stands still, preparing to cast another Hell Wave spell.

"Now's our chance!" screams Lou, "That moron is so overconfident that he'll let us nail him while he's busy getting ready to cast that Hell Wave thing again! Let's get him!"

"Right on, Lou!" answers the party.

Kane is instantly blitzed by magical forces powerful enough to move entire mountains. The combined effects of Poe Sword, Flash Blade, Blue Dragon Vigor, Transfusion Litany, and Nuclear Winter result in Kane taking a severe beating, but somehow he continues to stand and chant. The heroes blitz him again, but the magic seems to be having little effect on him.

"Dammit," says Lou, "What the hell kind of armor is he wearing, nothing seems to phase him!"

"I don't know Lou," replies Ken," but unless we find a chink in it, we won't survive. Unlike him, our magic IS limited."

"Wait a second Ken, I've been going at this all wrong! I figured he would be immune to Dragon Magic, like the Fiends, but what if he isn't?"

"It's worth a shot, Lou, it's... Lookout! It's another dark circle!"

Again, the party narrowly evades the devastating effects of Hell Wave.

"All right Kane, no more Mr. Nice Guy," shouts Lou, "Eat this, punk! Dragon Bolt!"

Kane is hit by a tremendous bolt of lightning from a Dragon-shaped source. He writhes in severe agony as his Demon Wings are shattered by the blast.

"No! How can this be! My... my wings were indestructible!" shouts Kane.

"Were is right!" answers Lou, "Not anymore! Here, have another serving of Dragon Magic! Dragon Fire!"

Kane again writhes in agony as this time his Demon Shield is shattered by the intense heat of a Dragon-shaped plume of flame passing through his body. "But how, why?!" he shouts, "This cannot be, unless the death of the Fiends makes my armor vulnerable to Dragon Magic!"

"Glad you figured that out, moron! I realized that as soon as I nailed you with that lightning. Hope you enjoy losing your armor, as you're about to lose another piece! Dragon Tear!"

Huge boulders of ice are launched at Kane by another ethereal Dragon. His Demon Helmet is obliterated by the impact. "Noo! This is not possible! This cannot be!"

"But it is! And it's time I dealt you a fatal blow Kane! Guys, finish him off as soon as I zap him! Dragon Quake!"

The whole ground shakes as earthen dragons emerge and pass through Kane's body. Kane falls to one knee in severe pain as his Demon Armor disintegrates around him. With his armor destroyed, the rest of the party uses their most powerful attacks on the ex-Demonmaster. Finally, Teal finishes him off by zapping him with a small spark that emerged from her mouth. Kane was no more.

"Nice move Teal!" shouts Lou, "I didn't know you could do that!"

"Goes with the territory of being a Blue Dragon, Lou!" she answered.

Alexis and Lia stand over Kane's broken body, saddened that they had to kill him, but relieved that he was no longer a threat. Ken and Luke bow their heads and close their eyes in a moment of silence for Kane, feeling that he was not truly evil, just misguided. Eventually, Lou and Teal do the same before the enter the Tower. Once all six were well inside the tower, however, one of Kane's fingers begins to twitch...

The inside of the Blue Star Tower was a very strange place. The heroes were able to find many magical statues that were capable of healing them, but there were also many mysterious writings on the walls as well as thousands of unearthly artifacts. The climbed up the stairs to the top floor of the tower, where they found Lucia, imprisoned within a green crystal.

"Well, how the heck are we supposed to get her out of that thing?" asks Alexis, "We don't have an Aura to free her with like we did with the Dragons."

Lou turns to Teal, "Do you know?"

"Don't look at me, mister."

Suddenly, Lou is drawn towards a small table in the corner of the chamber. On top of the table were two pictures. One was of a young man about Lou's age. He was fairly tall, with semi-long brown hair, brown eyes, and two strange green marks on his right cheek. He was wearing some sort of blue shirt with black pants and a yellow cape, and was holding a boomerang in one hand. In the other picture was a young girl, only about twelve or so. She has blue hair, brown eyes, and also has two strange green marks on her right cheek. Between the pictures lies a pendant. Somehow, Lou knows to pick up this pendant and place it on the crystal, breaking the spell and freeing Lucia.

"Thank you, Lou," says the newly-freed Lucia, "I appreciate you coming here and freeing me, but, how did you know that pendant would break the spell?"

"I... didn't know. Somehow I was drawn to it and a voice said to me to touch the pendant to the crystal to free you."

"Hiro... Even from wherever you are now you still look after me..."

"Lucia, who's Hiro?"

"Hiro was my beloved husband... He died many eons ago... That pendant you used to free me was a symbol of our love for each other," she answered, straining to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry if I brought back any memories that hurt you."

"It doesn't matter... That picture of him I kept does that sometimes as well. You had no way of knowing..." Lucia looks at the table and continues to keep from sobbing. "Of course, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Diana was still here..."

"Who's Diana?"

"Diana was our daughter. I'm not really sure where I heard it from though. It was such a pretty name, and I felt it fit her... She was kidnapped soon after I invited humans from Lunar to move down to the Blue Star. I never even got the chance to learn if she were mortal or not, she was too young!"

"I... I truly am sorry. If it makes you feel better, I promise you that once we defeat Ghaleon I will try to solve the mystery of her disappearance. Granted, after all this time there probably isn't much I can do, but I will try..."

"You... You would do this, for me?"

"Of course. It's a small token of gratitude for watching over my world for all these years."

"Thank you. You truly do have the heart of someone worthy to become Dragonmaster. Now however, you must pass a trial of strength to earn the title."

"Umm, trial? What trial?"

"Long ago, when Althena still was alive, a candidate to become Dragonmaster would be tested by the two Dragon Angels to see if he was worthy of the title. However, as the Dragon Angels are no more, I have had to call upon another champion for the trial."

"Umm, can't we just skip the trial and give me the title?"

"I'm sorry Lou, but it doesn't work that way. Come this way..."

Lucia leads the group to a doorway leading to a large chamber. "Only Lou must enter this chamber. Within, he must fight my champion to prove his worthiness. Good luck Lou. The world depends on you passing!"

"Gee, not too much pressure... OK guys, wish me luck, I'm going on ." The rest of the group wishes Lou luck as he enters the chamber...

"Ha! So you are the one who feels he is worth to become Dragonmaster!" shouts a mysterious voice from above.

"Who are you?"

"I am known by many names. Some call me the Phantom Sentry, others the Star Sentry, but perhaps I am best known as the Star Dragon! Face me now, Dragonboy!"

An eight foot tall dark knight descends from above, slashing Lou with his blade. Lou staggers, trying to regain his composure before casting Poe Sword on the Star Dragon.

"Hahaha, very good! Most challengers don't even last after the initial blow!"

"Well, I am not like most challengers!"

The two beings continue to battle. Lou gets weaker and weaker while his blows seem to be affecting the Star Dragon little. He begins to wonder if this battle is hopeless.

"Giving up so soon! Hahaha! I knew you were not worthy of becoming Dragonmaster!"

"Says who! I refuse to give up. You may have me down, but I will defeat you Star Dragon!" Suddenly, Lou feels a rush of energy flow through his body. He feels his strength restored, and a new spell forming in his mind. He shouts its name as he unleashes it on the Star Dragon, "Dragon Blade!" Lou leaps high up in the air, a force field of ethereal dragons surrounding both him and his sword. He strikes the Star Dragon, driving him back against the wall of the chamber. The Star Dragon breaths heavily, and concedes defeat.

"Well done, Dragonmaster Lou. You have indeed earned that title, even learning how to combine Dragon Magic with your formidable skills with a blade. I commend you! You may now return to your friends. Farewell!" With this, the Star Dragon leaps up and vanishes.

Lou returns outside the chamber and is welcomed by his friends. "You did it!" they shout.

"Not quite," says Lucia, "There is one formality remaining. Lou, Teal, please step this way..."

Lucia leads the duo to a large chest. She opens it up and pulls out an elegant sword with a dragon-shaped handle. "This is the Sword of Althena, the final piece of equipment a Dragonmaster needs. It used to belong to my beloved Hiro, however I feel he would want you to have it now. Teal, as you are the one remaining Dragon who has not officially granted Lou your approval, please do the honors and hand him the sword."

"It would be an honor, Lucia..." Teal struggles to pick up the heavy sword.

"Step forward and claim your destiny," says Lucia, "Dragonmaster Lou!"

Lou walks forward and takes the sword away from the struggling Teal. The two smile at each other during the exchange. He then says his farewells to Lucia, and proceeds to leave the tower with the other heroes. Lucia, however calls to them, "Wait! I have something else to give you. Umm, it should be. Oh no, it's gone!"

"What is it Lucia?"

"The... The Goddess Crest. Ghaleon must have stolen it when he imprisoned me. As long as he has that crest, he'll be able to tap into my power and use it against you!"

"Oh great. I should've known this wouldn't be easy... Lucia, don't worry. We'll find a way to defeat Ghaleon, crest or no crest!"

"You truly are worthy of your title, Dragonmaster. Good luck and farewell!"

"Farewell, Lucia..."

Lou rejoins the others and goes on with the task of exiting the tower. He eventually falls behind the pack with Teal as they begin conversing.

"Hehehe, wow Lou, you did it! You actually became a Dragonmaster!"

"Whudda think, huh Teal?"

"Well, I had faith in you. Heheh, guess what, I just found a way in which you and the other Dragonmasters of the past are alike!"

"What are you talking about now Teal?"

"Well, Dragonmasters always seemed to hook up with goddess-types for some reason, hehe..."

"You aren't insinuating..."

"Aww, come on now Lou, can't a baby Blue Dragon play matchmaker?"

"What are you babbling about!? She's only 12!"

"Yeah, hehe, but that picture was taken so long ago, she'd be grown up by now!"

"Yeah, if she wasn't dead..."

"Hey, she was half goddess. That's a fifty-fifty chance of being immortal to me!"

"Yeah, well, whatever."

"Look, I betcha that when this is all over and you look for Diana, you'll find her and fall in love with her on the spot!"

"Dream on furball! Hehehehehhe"

"We shall see, Dragon-ditz!"

"Don't you start with that now!"

"Hehehehehe..."

Lou and Teal continue to trail behind the pack as they exit outside the tower. The other four fail to realize that they just walked onto a large, dark circle. A voice shouts "Hell Wave!" and they are instantly knocked unconscious!

"No!!!! How can this be!" shouts Lou.

A dark, twisted figure stands before him. The figure has Kane's head, but is encased in a twisted dark exoskeleton. Somehow, Kane had survived the brutal beating he had taken earlier. "Hahaha, you didn't really believe I was dead, did you?! I was close, I'll grant you that, but then I was somehow able to combine my soul with the dark power contained within this sword, so I now live again!"

"How... My friends..."

"Don't worry about them, Dragonmaster. I wanted them out of the way, so I merely knocked them unconscious. It's you I want! One-on-one. Dragonmaster vs. Demonmaster. How does that sound? Hahahahhaha!"

"Grr... You'll pay for what you did to them! Holy Light!"

An enormous ball of light descends from the sky, but it is quickly absorbed into Kane's sword.

"Your cheap parlor tricks won't hurt me, Dragonmaster! The mighty Zophar once possessed the power of Althena herself, he knows how to counter any spells that draw upon that power, and that knowledge belongs to me as well!"

"Fine... Never was one to use magic anyway... Eat my sword!"

The two clash into a sword-fight, sparks flying every direction as the Sword of Althena and the Sword of Zophar collide. Meanwhile, Kane had been slowly draining Lou's life energy away and Lou starts to feel it...

"Hahaha, you fool! The power you possess as Dragonmaster can also be absorbed by my sword now that our souls are one!"

"Kane, you must stop this! I know you aren't truly evil, why did you sell your soul to that demonic sword?"

"Why? Why? Because this planet doesn't deserve to exist anymore! Because Ghaleon betrayed me! Once I'm done with you, I will destroy the Magic Emperor and this planet once and for all! Hahaha!"

"You're insane! I will stop you!"

"Just try, Dragonmaster... You're power's been drained... Your friends are unconscious. Face it, you don't stand a chance!"

"We'll see, I still have one trick up my sleeve, one that doesn't require Dragon Magic... Poe Sword!"

Lou leaps high into the air with the last of his strength. He comes down, but his blade does not hit Kane. Instead, it hits Zophar's Sword, shattering it permanently.

"Noo!!!!! Not again! Aaarrggghhh!!!"

With Kane's sword destroyed, the evil that had filled him now began to devour him, leaving behind only his ashes alongside those of his sword.

Lou whispers, "I wish it didn't have to end this way Kane... I didn't want to kill another human being. However, perhaps you'll be happier wherever you are now that all that evil and hatred has been liberated from your body..." He then proceeds to use the healing properties of Althena's Sword to bring his friends back to consciousness.

"What happened?" asked Lia.

"Kane wasn't dead yet... But he is now... He zapped you with a cheap shot though just as you walked out of the tower. I was able to defeat him though... Anyway, enough about this. Now that I'm a Dragonmaster, we've got a Magic Emperor to thrash! Let's go team!"

The six then boarded the Dragonship Destiny and then began their search for the Neo Grindery.

Back to Lunar: Return to the Blue Star.

Back to the Library of Vane.

Back to the Shrine to Ghaleon.