by Matt Doyle
Song: A Flickering Flame
Band: Lost in Aesthetics
Genre: Darkwave
A high speed keyboard duel breaks through the cheers and kicks off an elaborate laser light display that traces a frenetic path across the stage and entrance curtain. The electric drums soon join the musical battle and lead the crowd in clapping while the keys slowly find a common ground. More and more notes synch up until the two keyboards are finally playing in harmony.
As the crowd continues to keep the beat, two shadows start to rise from the floor on either side of the entrance curtain and the laser lights split apart to trace their way over the growing shapes as they move up and down in time with the drums. Meanwhile, the lights at the front of the stage slowly fade in, casting a blue tint across the whole entranceway. The moment the lights hit full power, the music cuts out and John Forrester and Carnival leap to their feet, throwing back their black sheets in the process.
The crowd cheer madly for the defending champion and his Spark Form as they stand tall, staring out over the Battle Zone. The TV cameras focus first on Carnival, the shot panning up to show that that she is wearing her usual black boat neck crop top and three quarter length baggy trousers, each adorned with three thin blue stripes running vertically up each side. As the camera moves across, we see that John has his arms and face painted to match his chosen Spark Form. He has also opted to wear blue fingerless gloves, a sleeveless blue mesh top and the full length version of Carnival’s trousers.
The camera shot zooms out and as the shot changes, John and Carnival allow themselves to slump forward. The movement seemingly causes the stage lights to fade out again, leaving the stage in complete darkness other than the glowing blue markings on the bodies and clothing of the two crowd favourites.
Song: End of Days
Band: Lost in Aesthetics
Genre: Darkwave
“It is time to dance as though it were the end of all days,” comes the voice of the Lost in Aesthetics vocalist, and a hyperactive violin melody spews out through the speakers. The synth, drums, bass, guitar and vocals follow soon after, launching the two glowing figures into a high speed street dance routine across the stage.
John and Carnival dance from one end of the entranceway to the other, their steps mirroring each other as they play to the fans. The second time they cross in front of the curtain, they change trajectory and start making their way down the ramp, weaving in and out of each other’s path as the a series of small lights cut in one by one to guide them on their way.
The routine takes them to the edge of the Battle Zone just as the second chorus starts, and the two stop long enough to clasp their right hands together and shout along with the lyrics before splitting apart and dancing to their respective spots in the Battle Zone and Competitor Area.
The lights power up again and the Connection Teams make their way over to the competitors. As always, Dirk Wylder and Sam North soon join the split screen.
“Well, here we go Sam. We are now moments away from the final match of the day.”
“And didja hear that reaction for the defending champ?”
“Unbelievable, wasn’t it? But who do you think got a bigger reaction, John Forrester or Connor Ford?”
“They were pretty damn close,” Sam North laughs. “I really wouldn’t like to call it.”
Dirk laughs in response, then says, “Nor would I Sam, nor would I. If you look at the forums though, I think a lot of the fans are hoping for a Ford versus Forrester clash tomorrow night.”
“Ain’t we all? He still has to get through Finn McCourt first though.”
“Absolutely, and he’s no slouch when it comes to Spark Forming, is he?”
“Hell no. This year was the first attempt he’d ever made at qualifying an’ he went through Quadro’s best pretty convincingly. I mean sure, he faltered a coupl’a times throughout, but he always came through in the end an’ that’s the sorta spirit he’s gonna need to get past John Forrester.”
“Connor Ford too. You can see the Connection Team now checking John’s Mobile Loader.”
“Yeah, they gotta make sure it’s synching properly with the Sky Control System. I’ve said it before but, it really does add to the way he plays. I know it’s kinda an outdated piece of kit and it never really took off commercially, but it’s still pretty cool.”
“He’s also the only pro using one, isn’t he?”
“Yes an’ no. I know a lot of players use them during practice matches, just not at the big shows. The Sky Control screens are bigger, clearer, an’ if you’re standing still then it’s easier to regulate the stuff coming in through the implants. With a Mobile Loader, you naturally move about more so it gives your body more to deal with.”
“So in the long run, John could be doing himself a lot of damage physically then?”
“Maybe. Then again, he may be more comfortable moving about, in which case he’ll be more in control like that than if he stood still. An’ let’s be honest here, John Forrester ain’t exactly known as Mr Inertia, is he?”
“I’ve got to give you that one,” Dirk laughs. “So what about Finn’s entrance? He seemed to be making a point of getting under the crowd’s skin, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, I think he was basically sayin’ ‘I don’t give a damn whether you like me or not’ to everyone here. You listen to him talk an’ he’s a pretty smart guy, so he probably figured that the crowd would be firmly behind the champ regardless. What he essentially did was get them to take notice.”
“Do you think the stalling was to psych John out too? Maybe see if the delay throws him?”
“If it was, he was barking up the wrong tree there. John’s way too confident for that.”
“I think you could be right there Sam. OK, it looks like the Connection Teams are done, so let’s head back to the Battle Zone.”
The Connection Teams have just made it back to their seating area when the computerised announcement system gives the first competitor his queue. “Quadro Qualifier Finn McCourt, please initialise your deck.” At that, Finn hits the initialisation key and his deck starts shuffling while his Data Wick fades into a black mass. Out of the shadow jumps a large feline with rabbit-like ears.
White ears trail back above sleek fur,
Whipping side to side,
While razor teeth cut the air,
Splitting sounds
That
Fall
To
The
Floor.
A flick of the tail, an excited leap, and he’s gone,
Leaving only the fading blur of his markings,
Like fuchsia flames rising where paws should be.
There.
Behind you.
His golden eyes, underlined pink,
Watching,
As his call echoes,
At first wistful,
Then childlike in its glee as you turn.
He calls again.
A warning that it is time to begin.
For The Breeze, this is but a game,
And all who hear his cry are already playing.
“2916 Spark Form World Champion John Forrester, please initialise your deck.”
With a smile, John hits a button on the touch sensitive holographic screen projecting from his Mobile Loader, and his deck starts the shuffling process on both there and the synched up Sky Control System screen. Carnival meanwhile moves from her ready stance to throw off a few practice strikes while her introduction plays.
Blue glow amidst the grey,
Her weight shifting from foot to foot,
As lop ears and bristled tail sway in rhythm.
Smooth and swift,
She dances,
And strikes,
Each step a part,
Of a larger piece.
If life is but a rave,
And all who live are but dancers,
Carnival has surely already lived forever,
And her rave shall continue long after you
have gone.
“OK, so the defending champ’s sticking with the same Spark Form that he’s used for both of the last two tournaments and newcomer Finn McCourt has a Beast type of the same species, The Breeze. Your thoughts Sam?”
“Forrester’s a lot like Connor Ford like that, he’s a Static Form - Adaptive Deck player through an’ through. At thirty cards strong, he’s sticking with a similar deck size to the last two years as well so I’d guess that his Burst style Data Fragment is gonna be Ginga again. Given his past performances, I’d expect a pretty balanced display from him tonight. Finn’s going with a forty card deck an’ also using a Burst style Data Fragment. He was an Adaptive Form - Adaptive Deck player throughout the qualifiers, so it’s hard to predict what he’s using, but given his opponents record, I’d expect him to have at least a few cards with health restoration effects on the data charge side.”
“What I find interesting is that John’s one of the only players to use a defensive Data Fragment. As long term fans will know, Ginga can be charged with three or four cards, with three giving you a guaranteed dodge and four giving you the dodge and putting you on the offensive.”
“I think that what happens is a lot of players either prefer the flash of offensive cards or they don’t see the point in a card that can’t be used from an attacking position. I mean, I can understand that line of thinkin’ to a degree, it’s all about damaging your opponent, y'know? The thing is though, being able to Ginga outta there when you’ve got a knockout blow coming in could be the turning point for someone.”
“And it has been for John in past tournaments, hasn’t it?”
“Oh yeah man, he used it to get back on track a few times in both of his previous matches with Fahrn. I’ve seen him use it on the tours too. Do you know the one time he didn’t use Ginga though?”
“No actually, I thought he’d always used it?”
“Nope. All through his first qualification campaign he used different Data Fragments. He also used different Spark Forms.”
“I guess he’s just found a combination that works for him, huh?”
“Yeah, ‘cept after saying all that we’ll probably find out that he’s using a different Fragment this year.”
“That’d be something, wouldn’t it?” Dirk laughs. “So how do you see this one going Sam?”
“Finn’s capable of putting on a show an’ finding holes in his opponent’s strategy, but I don’t think he has enough experience to win this one. I can see the champ taking it, but it won’t be easy.”
“Looks like the decks are shuffled, so let’s head back to the Battle Zone.”
Song: Battle Music 42
Band: Emblem Productions
Genre: Electro Rock
“It is time to … Light. It. Up. Competitors … begin!” states the announcer as the guitars and drums kick in.
“The Breeze dives straight in with a swipe and Carnival steps out of the way, but Finn keeps the pressure coming with a lunge, and another, and another swipe.”
“Carnival’s keeping her distance though Dirk, dancing past each attack an’ leading her fellow Lopine around the Battle Zone.”
“The defending champion always starts on the back foot too, so you know that John’s used to starting like this.”
“Yeah, just a little bit of advantage for the challenger, y'know? John’s always – Carnival blocks a dive, guiding The Breeze past her – John’s always got a good balance between attack an’ defence, so – Boom! Carnival with a roundhouse kick, sending her opponent spinning across the field.”
“And now she goes straight in with a spinning back fist, but The Breeze whips his head past the blow, clamping his teeth down hard on her arm as she cries out in pain.”
“Finn’s smirking too. That was a bigger hit than the roundhouse an’ if ya look at it, he kept that one card at the right of his screen an’ waited to use it for the counter, leaving Carnival unable to dodge the next – rake of the claws down her chest.”
“Smart play by Finn in the early going here, his attacks preventing dodges and blocks as he follows up with a bite.”
“Counters were limited to only a few move types too Dirk an’ he’s piling on the pressure now, forcing Carnival to the floor as he starts snapping away with those razor sharp teeth.”
“His Data Fragment’s charging quickly too Sam.”
“You’re right there Dirk, an’ The Breeze is still snapping away at - no! Carnival bites back, burying her teeth in his throat as she rolls him over, blood pouring from her head, an’ now Carnival fires off a few bites of her own.”
“A vicious swipe to the face breaks that up though and The Breeze snaps at her ankles, Carnival pulling away at the last second and following through with an axe kick but The Breeze darts past, coming up at the side and diving at her throat … and a spinning back fist by Carnival finds its mark.”
“The champ looking to regain control an’ start healing up a little with a thrust kick an’ a flurry of wild strikes. Carnival’s health is slowly heading back up now while The Breeze starts heading down.”
“Finn’s still ahead though Sam, he’s on the defensive but he’s still got the advantage as far as health goes.”
“Carnival’s Data Fragment is all set to go now too though so if she’s using Ginga again, that should keep her in a good position for a while.”
“The Breeze braces itself against a big kick, but can’t get back on the attack, Carnival lunging in and reigning down with more snaps. The Breeze ends the attack quickly though, hissing loudly as he snaps his jaws shut on Carnival’s upper muzzle, sending her stumbling back. The Breeze now goes for the ankles again and …”
“DATA FRAGMENT ACTIVATE: GINGA.”
“… Looks like you were right Sam, Carnival Gingas past The Breeze and goes straight on the attack with a big Carnival exclusive Neon Flame Roundhouse …”
“DATA FRAGMENT ACTIVATE: DART.”
“And Finn takes a leaf out of the champion’s book, with The Breeze darting under the oncoming attack and coming up ready to fight … Fuchsia Charge!”
“Wow! Finn’s been doing his homework Dirk, using John’s own tactics against him an’ dealing a huge amount of damage with an exclusive card.”
“Now, you can only use two exclusive cards per deck, can’t you?”
“That’s right, an’ that one there is one of The Breeze’s most useful. In data charge terms, the card sacrifice is big at six cards, but the damage is big too an’ it leaves your opponent too groggy to counter or block. With Ginga needing to recharge now, John’s relying on – not that! The Breeze digs his teeth into Carnivals ankles, holding on tight an’ preventing anything other than fist based counters for the next attack.”
“Carnival’s more of a kicker too, and John tends to play to that strength in his decks so … a big claw swipe from The Breeze opens up a gash across Carnival’s chest and leaves her top shredded.”
“Y'know what Dirk? I may have underestimated Finn McCourt. He is taking it to the champ tonight!”
“The crowd are desperately trying to get behind John now as he sends Carnival back into a series of dodges, but she’s breathing heavily Sam, and losing a lot of blood.”
“John ain’t worried though, you look at him down there, and he’s still dancing around, calling his moves. This is kinda like starting over for him, it’s like bein’ right at the start of the match again.”
“Right now, he’d probably love to start over. As it is, it’ll only take a few good hits for Finn to end this. The Breeze now with a lunge but Carnival side-steps and fires off a roundhouse kick …”
“DART.”
“The Breeze’s Data Fragment sends him under the kick and now he comes up on his hind legs with claws bared.”
“Carnival’s blocked it though! She caught him on the way forward an’ now she fires off a U-Punch, forcin’ him back.”
“That’s why it pays to have a strong block saved in your hand, right?”
“Beautif
ul Meia Lua de Compasso spinning kick by Carnival an’ The Breeze is down. It’s not just having the strong blocks Dirk - axe kick puts the beast down again - it’s knowing when to use the card, what moves to block, what moves to take or dodge instead - The Breeze slips past a low kick but Carnival still on top.”
“Both Spark Forms now back on level pegging with their health bars and the crowd are loving it!”
“John’s got another Ginga charged too, which could come in handy later on. Carnival with a lunge …”
“The Breeze has rolled through though Sam! He let her momentum take her down and barrelled her over at the last minute, and now he’s snapping away again and the crowd are not happy at all!”
“Carnival ain’t gonna just lay there though! Aw Hell no she ain’t. She grabs The Breeze by the jaws mid-bite an’ forces him back away from her face. You can see her struggling to push him away … wait, no she’s forcing his jaws together, an’ changing to a one handed grip … an’ a vicious flurry of swipes across his face draws blood! Both Spark Forms now back on their feet an’ Carnival connects with a low kick to the face.”
“The Breeze darts under the second one though Sam and now he rips at her ankles again, knocking her to the floor. Carnival tries to get up and The Breeze nails a hard claw swipe to the face. You gotta think John’s gonna want to be using Ginga again soon to get back into this one.”
“Maybe, or maybe he’ll keep hold of it until he’s out of options. Carnival blocks a dive an’ The Breeze immediately goes for the ankles again but a quick step to the side sends Carnival safely past an’ straight into a spinning back fist. The Breeze ducks under, but he’s too slow to get past the follow-up bite an’ the crowd are rallying loudly behind John an’ Carnival now.”
“The Breeze swipes at another bite, drawing an angry growl from the anthro. He follows up with a bite of his own but Carnival catches him with a stiff kick to the body. The Breeze avoids a U-Punch and comes up fighting with a lunge but Carnival hits the deck and he sails over, turning on landing and going straight into a dive. Carnival with another Meia Lua de Compasso and now a low kick. She follows up with a roundhouse but The Breeze catches her calf between those powerful jaws of his and follows up with a slash across her leg, opening a wound just below the knee. Both Spark Forms are taking heavy damage here Sam!”
