Zinnia kneeled pouring the glass milk by the fire, wiping the glass perfectly she stood up admiring the carrots and cookies left. "Zinnia we need to go now… Oh."

Zinnia turned to nod. "I'm ready now."

"You don't believe in that shit, do you?"

"Santa? Wait he's not real… I'm kidding. I know, it's a tradition I would do with the other children in the orphanage. I'm going to do it no matter what."

"Well, that's nice. But seriously we need to go."

Alton turned ready to walk away as Zinnia built up the courage to speak. "Alton. We need to talk."

With his hand on the doorknob, he glanced at her, letting go. "Now?"

"We keep dodging each other keeping away, but sooner or later this will need to stop. I live with you now, and for the time being you lock me in your room every night. I can't live like this."

"You think I want this either? Treating you like a prisoner. Believe me, Zinnia I too would love to go back to being able to be friends. But how?"

"He hasn't talked to me since your contract with him. Not a word, not a whisper. This has something to do with you, right?"

Alton turned having enough. "You want to know what I agreed to? Is that it? Will that finally make you satisfied?"

"Yes."

Alton let go of the door walking up to Zinnia. The two stared at each other as Alton gave her a look of pity. "Each and every day I look at you, it breaks my heart. It really does, your kindness and heroic nature parallel hers so much. I look at you, and I question if I can do it this time. Make up for my mistakes and redeem myself."

"Redeem yourself from what?"

Alton went to touch Zinnia, but his hand dropped to his side as he sighed. "The deal I made with Bargaining. It was to save you. In return, I would have to become one of the five stages of grief."

Zinnia's eyes widened as she shook her head in disbelief. She was so taken back she stepped back almost tripping over the table. "Say that ain't so. Don't you dare tell me you would do something stupid like that?"

"Like I had any other choice!" Alton snapped. "Just what did you think I would do?"

"Anything but that! You would throw away any semblance of your humanity. Betray Victoria for me? Why? What could it possibly be? You don't want to die? You love me, that's it, isn't it? I don't understand Alton how could you love someone so much to destroy the world?"

"I won't kill you like I did them!" Alton screeched panting. "I can't go through with that again. Not this time. Destiny, Marco, Clyde… Sam. I killed them all. Because of him, because of what he made me do they all died! And now here I am back with that choice again. Kill you and live or save you. I choose to go against my fate and save you."

Zinnia turned to the window. Glancing back, she sprinted swinging it open leaning back. "I won't let you do that. If I die, it not only breaks my contract but yours too."

"Zinnia. Step away from the window. I said, step the fuck away!"

"If I do this, it will save you. He won't have a hold on you. You won't have to throw your life away."

"Listen to me. Is this what you want? What Gale or Emil would want? How about Percy? Better yet, your mother?"

"If it's saving you, they will understand. And if they don't, I don't care."

Zinnia let go, but her fall was halted as the entire area was frozen over. Zinnia slumped down to the floor, curled up sobbing. She looked at Alton devastated as his eyes were bright yellow. "That's enough. As the leader of Team Rhapsody, I order you to stop."

"You should just kill me…"

"Maybe I should. Would be much easier, save us both yeah?" Alton barked kneeling to her level. "But that's the easy way out. The coward and villainous way. We are not cowards. We are heroes, and we will find a way no matter what to make things right. But you need to trust me on this. Please."

Zinnia wiped her eyes conflicted. "But how? We can't win this. The Garden is too strong."

"You let me worry about that. I'm not about to let some slave to evil control me. He hasn't won yet. I have a plan, one which I cannot tell you of but one that will save us both. But you need to trust me now more than ever."

"Did Sam trust you? Did she trust you till the very end?"

Alton held his hand out nodding. "She did."

Zinnia still debating gave in as she took Alton hand being pulled up from the ground. "Alton… I'm sorry. I always seem to be putting you in tight spots without a second thought. First, it was streaming now this. You must really hate me."

"If you think that Zinnia, you're dumber than I made you out to be."

She snorted, punching his arm. "That's not very nice. Are you calling me dumb?"

Alton rubbed his shoulder scoffing. "Damn right, I am. We're heroes that's already a dumb move in itself. Now come on we have Christmas to save."

****

Scarlett watched the crowds pouring in. She stood backstage sweaty. "Why the hell did I agree to this?"

"Come now Young ballerina you have nothing to be scared of." Tempo remarked.

"What he's trying to say is you'll do just fine." Melody grumbles punching Tempo's shoulder.

Tempo laughed, pretending not to be hurt. "I'm just happy to be out of the hospital."

"Speaking which, how did you guys recover? I heard you lost an arm Tempo and you were paralysed on the verge of death Melody."

"We can thank Alton for that." Harmony whistled. "He introduced us to Helga, and she was able to help aid us back to health. In Tempo's case, he was fine from the get-go. He has granted a prospective arm long ago but refused to leave until he was able to play the drums."

"I only accept perfection in my performance."

Scarlett couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the three. "I must say it is good to see you all well. But are you not concerned about tonight? Syndicate is showing up."

"We've seen what those monsters can do first hand. We believe it should be in our duty to hold the line and fight."

"And you know to perform our best song ever. We wrote it with you guys in mind."

"You wrote a song for us? Can I hear it?"

"Ah, ah, ah. All in good time. You take down Syndicate, and we play the song. It shall give you inspiration, no?" Tempo howled.

"Right…"

Emil walked behind the stage, shaking his head. "Still nothing. Are you sure they will show?"

"I know they will. They are here no doubt."

"Alright, then. Alton and Zinnia should be here soon. Operation Lockhart shall begin!"

"Oh yes, this operation Lockhart." Harmony recalled.

"They dragged you into this too, huh?"

Melody pressed her hands together, looking excited. "Hell yeah! Bringing together two unknowing lovers on Christmas was a calling to us. We owe them both a lot so we will bring them together with a song."

"Wonderful…" Scarlett sighed, turning around peeking through the curtain at the crowd. "Shit… Where are you, Alton?"

****

"We're almost there… Did we really have to stop off at that Santa's Grotto?"

"I do that with the kids every Christmas Eve, I want to keep with the traditions."

"You never change, do you Zinnia?" Alton stopped in his tracks as snow began to fall. Looking over his shoulder, he nodded. "Zinnia, keep moving."

"Huh?" She muttered, stopping to see Syndicate members surrounding the area hidden in the snow. "That's a lot more than I thought…"

Alton stared on seeing the Syndicate High Council ready to strike with Emi mask off fists ready. "If we allow them to attack the ball, we will be overwhelmed. You need to warn Scarlett."

"You're kidding?! You can't take on that many by yourself."

"Perhaps. I'll buy you as much time as I can. Warn Scarlett. Go!"

"You better not die on me. You still need to save us both remember?"

Zinnia ran ahead with a bolt of lightning, burning the ground behind her. Alton turned back to the Syndicate family arms crossed. "So, you're the infamous Alton Brantley we've heard about. Mistress Chaos wants you alive. Surrender, and we'll consider sparing the pretty pink head."

Alton smirked, lowering his head. "Nah. Do you know what I'm going to do instead? Kill each of you where you stand."

Emi began laughing to herself, staring on Alton's threats with a smile. "Well, isn't that a bold statement? You said it yourself. You cannot defeat us all. Sending the girl to warn others was the best choice of actions. You can delay the future, but you cannot stop it."

"Oh? So that's what you believe? I sent Zinnia away to buy her time? How cute to think you fell for it? No. I sent her away, so she didn't have to see what I leave behind when I'm done with you."

"So, you choose death. I much rather prefer this. Having slime like you in our ranks would only tarnish our reputation. I think we would all much rather kill you."

Serval guns were raised, and a bright green glow rippled through the snow shining on dozens of Syndicate members. Alton lowered his head chuckling before he burst out into a full sinister laugh. He stopped covering his face. "Kill me? Now that's funny. Many have tried to, believe me, sweetheart. Vanguard. Paradox. Eyes Over Reality. Monty Montague. Each one fell to my power. I look at each one of you, and do you know what I see? Not even a candle of potential to their power." Alton raised his head, showing the yellow glow burning from his eyes. "You claim you're the future. One built on destruction and torment. So much so you happily torture and ruin the lives of your own. Family turning on their children for their own twisted goals. Nothing pisses me off more than that. It hits far too close to home for me. Usually, I'd let scum like you live. But today that changes. You have the misfortune of facing Avalanche. I do hope you can keep up."

"Big words coming from a mere hero! I'll show you why your kind faded away like a fossil." Emi raged only to stop. She looked around to find none of her allies moving apart from the other members of the High Council. As the snow began to subside, she saw each goon frozen solid the ice cracking before they all shattered leaving nothing left to the snow. "Impossible…"

A snowstorm surrounded Alton as his hair was down blowing with the wind. His body frozen with flowers covering him. He held his hand out, taunting them. "So, are you ready to meet your Salvation?"