CARNIVAL (The Spark Form Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  "Is that bad?" I ask.

  "Not necessarily. I mean, The Surge can do odd things to you, so if they'd had any major issues then it could have made them seem worse. In this case though, the worry with Connor was that he collapsed. He probably ended up in there because he was disorientated after the match. John Forrester will likely push him further than Lana did, so if something like that happens again ... try to be prepared. After yesterday, they'll keep a closer eye on him, but you never know."

  "Do you think he'll be OK?"

  "Yeah, tough as old boots that one," he says with an awkward smile. He's worried about Connor but he doesn't want me to know, probably so it won't panic me. I'm getting better, but I'm still being a burden.

  My head drops. "Why do you put up with me?" I say, my voice quiet. Even before I say anything else, there's a voice in the back of my head berating me for being selfish enough to put him on the spot. You're throwing his kindness back in his face, it screams, but I continue anyway and once I start, I can't stop myself, even as I feel myself throwing my anger at him. "You always try to protect me, even when I'm just being stupid. And I always make you feel like you need to do it. Like then. You knew that I'd probably panic about Connor being hurt and you tried to make it seem like it was nothing so that I'd be OK. You used to say that you hated lying, but I keep making you need to so that you can stop me from doing anything that will make me beat myself up even though you know that I do it anyway.

  "You help me, you've always helped me, but I still make you do things that you shouldn't have to and make you act like a person you don't want to be just because I can't let myself believe that I'm worth saving. Why do you even bother trying? Why is Fahrn even tying?"

  Idiot, the voice in my head says. Hong Chan says nothing. All he does is stare, the shock etched across his face like a scar. Idiot, says the voice again, and I say, "Idiot. I'm a stupid, selfish, worthless idiot."

  "You sound a lot like the girl that Fahrn described," Hong Chan replies finally. "You can push Meera, but I won't leave. After she left last night, you said that you felt guilty about how things had ended with you and Fahrn last time, and that you felt bad that you couldn't remember any of it. This," he says, with a theatrical flick of his wrist, "is why I bother. It's why Fahrn bothers. You've done bad things Meera, more than either of us knew when you first found me, but you're not a bad person. You care. You hurt. And no matter what you think, you fight on. You keep moving forward even when you don't realise that you're doing it. Look at what you just did. There was a time that you wouldn't have dared shout me down like that. You'd have just kept it all bottled up, hurting yourself more and more because that's what you think you deserve. And as for not being worth saving? You're still here Meera. You came through that Hell and you're still here, scars and all. You need help, but you don't need saving. You already saved yourself when you found ways to keep living."

  I want to cry but I can't find the tears. Even after shouting at him, he's still trying. Even after all I did to Fahrn, and Maria too, they're still trying. The only one not trying is me. And why? "I'm scared," I say, sadly. "I'm still scared. You ... everyone is helping me but getting better scares me."

  "Change is scary Meera. But it doesn't have to be a bad thing."

  "I think the show's starting," I say, turning back to the TV and kicking myself some more for my cowardice.

  Hong Chan sits in silence for a moment then says, "I need the toilet. Give me a shout if the match is about to start before I'm back, OK?"

  I nod.

  PRE SHOW VIDEO I: 11:58

  Song: The Coming of the Storm VI

  Band: Emblem Productions

  Genre: Epic Orchestral Instrumental

  A video package highlighting the careers of the two combatants plays with a movie trailer style voice-over hyping the match in between audio clips of the defending champion and the returning challenger.

  Throughout the history of Spark Forming, no competitor has shown more dominance than the legendary Connor Ford ...

  "I am the King, and the King I shall remain."

  Yet as the modern era dawned, a new champion of the people arose ...

  "Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is John Forrester, and I am your new Spark Form World Champion!"

  Now, for the first time, the two behemoths will clash. The past and the present will collide one on one. But who will step through the flames to emerge victorious?

  "I'm going to make you a promise boy. I am going to take everything that you think makes you special and I am going to destroy it. Slowly."

  "I'm not gonna claim that I'm gonna beat ya just 'cause I'm the defending champ. I am gonna beat ya though, just because. Game on, Connor Ford."

  Coming up next on the Forty Third Annual Spark Form World Championships ...

  John Forrester versus Connor Ford ...

  It is time to ...

  Light ... It ... Up!

  The video fades to black.

  SEMI FINAL: CONNOR FORD VS JOHN FORRESTER - 12:00

  The arena lights have already faded to black when the video feed cuts in and the crowd are buzzing, their excited noises blurring together into white noise as we await the beginning of the first match of the day. With the change to the running order having been heavily hyped all morning by the media, there is an air of anticipation in the arena.

  The Big Screen flashes on and, just as it did yesterday, fades quickly to black to allow the bold white words to appear on the screen: 'EARTH QUALIFIER'.

  Song: Rise of the Waves

  Band: The Emblem Orchestral Troupe

  Genre: Classical

  The steady beat of the drums queues the central spotlight and the crowd starts clapping and stomping, matching the rhythm perfectly. The brass section cut above the drums, the choir chanting along after it while the spotlight makes its way up to the entrance curtain. As always, the strings come next, building the music along with the fans' excitement.

  Finally, 'CONNOR FORD' fades in on the screen and the man himself walks through the curtain to a thunderous roar from the crowd. With a vicious smile smeared across his face, he takes four long strides towards the ramp and drops to his knees, narrowly avoiding the flames of several large pyros as they shower the entranceway in light, causing the music to cut abruptly.

  As the light of the explosion quickly fades out, it becomes clear that not only has the spotlight on Connor taken on a blue tint, but that the ground level entrance ramp lights have faded in in a matching tone. A blur darts through the entrance curtain and flies across the stage, sailing over Connor and landing in a crouch on the ramp. Connor Ford rises to his feet, arms crossed, and wearing the same confident smile he has worn since his first tournament.

  The display on the Big Screen switches from plain text to a looping video of Jariah tearing through various Spark Forms over the years, the footage as graphic as it is silent. Slowly, the fans start to realise what is happening and the cheers begin to build up again. As they do, the Spark Form rises to her feet, throws her head back and lets out a bloodthirsty roar. To the clear delight of Connor Ford, the fans start to mimic the battle cry long before the Vulthera's voice has stopped echoing through the arena, and continue to do so as the would-be champion and his Spark Form stride proudly to their places.

  The music and the lights fade down but the crowd noise does not. Some continue to imitate Jariah's roar but most slip back into an excited mish-mash of noise as they await the arrival of the defending champion. The Big Screen flashes back into life to display '2916 SPARK FORM WORLD CHAMPION', confirming that they won't be kept waiting long.

  Song: Im Lichte

  Band: And Then There Were ...

  Genre: Neue Deutsche Härte

  The ambient synth fades in over the speakers and is quickly joined by the pounding drums. The words on the Big Screen pulsate with each beat, growing bigger and bigger as one-by-one, the ground level entrance lights power on. The down-tuned guitars kick in suddenly and the words on the Big Scr
een explode, leaving behind 'JOHN FORRESTER' as the fan favourite and his Spark Form step through the curtain and onto the stage.

  The lights immediately start to flash in time with the frenetic drums, heavily obscuring John and Carnival as they launch into an arm-focused dance routine. Even with the rapid light show, the fans start to pick up that something is different to normal. Before they can spend too long questioning what they're seeing, the song intro hits a break and pauses, the stage lights cut and two spotlights hit.

  With the champion and his Lopine stood in mirrored poses, it becomes quite apparent what it is that the flashing lights had partially masked. Decked out in electric blue arm warmers and matching baggy trousers decorated with black straps, John does not look overly different to his normal self, even if he is unusually topless and using a pair of goggles to keep his hair held back. The big difference, and no doubt the source of the current loud cheering, is Carnival.

  Pushed back by a thick black headband decorated with the Spark Form logo, Carnival's primarily black hair flows down her back, accompanied by electric blue piping. The rest of her costume is built from PVC and designed to match the hair extensions with the left side of her crop top, the right side of her shorts and her left flared leg warmer coloured in the same blue with the opposite sides in black.

  The music kicks back in and the ramp lights start their own series of flashes, this time slower and off kilter with the music, allowing the crowd longer views of the pairs dance routine and giving John and Carnival time to switch places during periods of blackness. Finally, they reach the edge of the Battle Zone and, as always, clasp their right hands together and shout along with the chorus before splitting apart and dancing to their respective places.

  The arena lights return and the camera pans out to a long shot of the Battle Zone, showing the Connection Team making their way over to the Competitor Zones. Once they reach their designated player and start hooking up the spinal implants, the video cuts to a split screen, showing the process close-up.

  "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to day two of the forty third annual Spark Form World Championships. I'm Dirk Wylder."

  "I'm Sam North, an' this right here is what everyone's been waitin' for, Dirk."

  "You can feel it in the air, can't you? For a lot of people, this is the only match that matters."

  "You know it, man. I tell ya, this one's gonna be explosive."

  "And what do you make of the champ’s sudden change in Spark Form?"

  "I gotta admit, that surprised me. All through that first tournament win, John used the first edition Carnival card, an' he's not changed since."

  "Until today."

  "Yup, until today. He's been a Static Form - Adaptive Deck player for two tournaments and to change now, ya gotta think he's got somethin' big in mind."

  "And whatever that is, it centres on that man right there, Connor Ford."

  "Yeah, you got that right. I get this feelin' that John's tryin' to spook him, ya know? He pretty much laid down the gauntlet when he said he knows what Connor's gonna play an' how he's gonna deal with it. Given that neither one of them normally strays from their preferred playin' styles, Connor probably built his deck around the first edition Carnival, not the third edition one."

  "Carnival's third card is from the 'Cyber Wear' run, isn't it?"

  Sam North laughs. "Yeah. The cards sold, the club wear didn't."

  "Actually," Dirk replies, returning the laugh, "I think you can still get some of it in the main merch shops."

  "I don't doubt it, it's probably the same stock they've had for years. Hey, Dirk, check it out. Connor Ford just pulled a Mobile Loader out. With that and his entrance, do ya reckon that's his way of trying to play John at his own game?"

  "He could well be Sam. Well, it looks like the Connection Teams are just finishing up, so just quickly, what differences will this version of Carnival bring to the plate?"

  "First edition is a kick heavy card, strong legs, middlin' jaws an' a bit of fire. Third edition keeps the jaws but switches the focus from legs to grapples an' a middlin' fist stat. My guess is John'll either use his upgrade to put some strength back in his more familiar leg region or ramp up the fists."

  "We're about to find out if you're right Sam. Let's head back to the Battle Zone."

  With the testing done, the Connection Teams dash back across the arena to their seats while the video feed switches back to single shots, switching between the two competitors as they await their instructions. Meanwhile, stood in the middle of the Battle Zone, Jariah and Carnival are in ready stances, their eyes dead ahead.

  "Earth Qualifier Connor Ford, please initialise your deck," the electronic announcer cuts in.

  Connor shoots a malicious grin towards his opponent and hits the initialisation key on the holographic screen projected from his Mobile Loader. His deck fans out face down on both the small screen and the large Sky Control System then starts the shuffling process. As the intro verse kicks in, Jariah steps forward and surveys her surroundings, sniffing the air a few times as the words echo around the arena.

  The icy winds encircle her, but still she stands, calm, as though untouched by the blade-like scrapes of each gust.

  In response her armour, simple in design and as silver in colour as the long, straight hair flowing half way down her back, seeks to prove itself worthy by refusing to utter even a single rattle. Instead, it clings tight and unmoving to shoulder, body and thigh, glimmering elegantly while the deep blue cloth hanging beneath the faulds flutters gently.

  Her fur, thick, and white as freshly fallen snow, lengthens suddenly at the forearms and calves, almost consuming the open, black rosettes that shrink and close as they travel downward, ending as small spots on her fingers and toes.

  The winds die down and her ears twitch, their small, rounded frame searching for signs of her prey as her tail, furred as long as the almost-gloves-and-boots, swishes once, twice, then hangs just above ground level, unable to match her height.

  She tenses her body and releases.

  There is power buried beneath her form,

  Power to scar.

  Power to kill.

  Then.

  The smile.

  Her short, whiskered muzzle contorts, and the light catches each and every point,

  Yet none shine so bright as her four canines, long, sharp and terrible.

  Her grey eyes hold no fear, for,

  Jariah has walked this blood stained path before,

  And now, her eyes betray that she lusts to walk the path once more.

  On cue, Jariah smiles, slowly first, then more widely. As she opens her mouth wide, displaying the sheer size of her most powerful weapon, blue fire starts to emanate from her teeth. She fires off a few quick, vicious snaps on the air, the flames fanning out and extinguishing every time her muzzle slams shut. She throws her head back and roars again, and the fans call back as they had before. Seemingly satisfied with the response, Jariah moves back into a ready stance, this time breathing heavier and flashing her teeth at Carnival.

  "2916 Spark Form World Champion John Forrester, please initialise your deck," the electronic announcer commands and John follows in Connor's footsteps, complete with a smile to his foe before hitting the initialisation key. Out on the Battle Zone, Carnival starts to stretch, at no point taking her eyes off Jariah.

  The one that survived,

  The blue and the grey,

  She lives now as though she could fall,

  Each day a party, each dance her last.

  This is how she makes the land her own,

  Makes the passing time more a friend than a thing to fear.

  Carefree?

  Yes, she is that.

  But she is also one of the few.

  Carnival will not change, will not bow to the harsh reality of the world.

  Nor will she allow it to be forced upon her, even if she must kill to keep things as they are.

  Leaping from her low lunge to a battle ready pose, Carniv
al throws her head back and lets out a guttural howl before dropping back into a focused stance, her hands glowing with intermittent blue flames. Maintaining their call and response habit, the crowd imitates the Lopine before settling back into their now standard cacophony of jittery cheers.

  "Some things never change Sam. Same SF, similar deck size and Burst Style Data Fragment. You reckon that's Blood Lust?"

  "After what John said earlier, I can damn near guarantee it. You wanna know something else that doesn't change? Connor's face throughout this tournament. If John did spook him with the card change, Connor ain't showing it."

  "You're right there Sam. Looks like both guys are going for fire based Upgrade Cards as well."

  "Yeah man. In Connor's case he's seriously upped Jariah's already Hellacious bite stat."

  "And John's gone for a jump in fist stats, right?"

  "An' claws, yeah. You notice he's stuck with a Burst Style Fragment though."

  "Ginga?"

  "Could be, Dirk, could be."

  "So how do you see this one going?"

  "Aww Hell man, I can't even begin to try figurin' that one out. I mean, I can't see either one of 'em givin' in easy. They probably both got a plan in mind goin' into this, but if it came down to it, either one of 'em's capable of jus' throwin' everything they've got at the other, ya know?"

  "Absolutely, and I think that's what a lot of people are expecting too ..." Dirk pauses. "Wow. Can you hear that Sam? And that's before the match even starts! You listen to the fans out there and it's like this is the main event."

  "You gotta believe that whoever takes the win in this one is gonna be a hot favourite going into the title match too."

  "I'm being told that we're about to find out just who that's gonna be Sam. Let's get this thing started!"