Second Reality: Surge of Power

Chapter XVII: The Mad Carnival

The next day, school was suspiciously uneventful for the kids. Everyone was excited to go clue-hunting in the woods.

"It's strange. I haven't gotten any messages from Hook to pre-train, before training." Sun looked at his phone awaiting a message.

"Yeah, now that you mention it. They have been awfully quiet today." His sister acknowledged his observation.

"Maybe they realized we are a lost cause and cut ties with us." Said Faul nonchalantly, walking behind everyone else.

"Don't say that Faul! Hook wouldn't give up on us just like that!" Sun shut down his negativity.

"They might have been attacked by the Ever Family after yesterday's events. Be on guard!" Luna warned the others before walking through her portal.

As the children walked forward space curved behind them as they entered the Second Reality. But their mentors were nowhere to be found. Only the sound of muffled music and a lightshow awaited them in the distance.

"What's that?" All the kids instinctively sneaked up to the tree line where the music originated from. When they arrived they could not believe their eyes. Trees covered by colorful lights, tents the size of houses were erected, and the magical song of birds was replaced with loud music and the noise of a crowd.

"This might be a trap of some kind!" Luna braced herself for a fight.

"Hey! You guys finally arrived!" Sledge welcomed the kids jumping out of a tree and jamming a cotton candy into Luna's hand.

"Is this like a big party? Does someone have a birthday?" Ginna looked around for a cake.

"All these smells it's like they are cooking all our favorite foods." Niel said with saliva building up in his mouth.

"Wait! You guys don't know what a carnival is?" Sledge looked at them perplexed.

"Yeah, when the teachers dress up as clowns and make us play silly games." Marco explained like Sledge was the weird one here.

"And they ask my mom to let them dress up our cat as a 'lion'." Ginna continued.

"You guys were really closed off huh?" Sledge looked perplexed at the children who just shrugged. "What you described is a tiny fraction of what a real carnival is. These guys are trying to capitalize on all the free space and the curious crowd this place brings." Blitz explained as he crunched down on a corndog.

"And you guys let them stay?" Luna passed the cotton candy to Iiwa so she can focus on interrogating.

"It's not like we can stop them from being here. But don't worry. They are here for entertainment. And you should be too. We agreed with Hook that we would look around in the forest tomorrow and enjoy the show today!" As Sledge explained she realized that the number of kids significantly decreased since she started talking. "Wait! Where is like the half of you?"

"They all ran towards the smell." Ren explained, with some pride in his voice.

"What? I swear you guys are either feral animals, or five-year-olds." Sledge scratched her head puzzled. "Okay so you guys are the responsible ones, so you stay in pairs, don't do anything silly, and go anywhere where you shouldn't, while I collect the rest of you!"
The remaining kids looked at each other with a mischievous grin as Sledge mistook their disinterest in food with being responsible. The kids turned around and scattered.

"Hey! This is a good time and place to have our first date, right?" Iiwa grabbed Luna's hand and pulled her away from the others.

While the girls separated from the others Niel and Taran found Hook who was at the high striker game. He was just about to swing the hammer what Niel shouted. "Oh! Is that Sledge or Hook? I can't tell!" Niel joked around, but this was just enough distraction to make Hook miss.