Scarlett glanced around the destroyed ball, feeling empty. Picking up a broken ornament, she frowned. "I didn't think this would hurt as much."

"Alton Scarlett!" Zinnia yelled alongside Emil and Gale. "Are you guys, alright?"

Alton was still engulfed in his trance as he licked his lips. "Yeah… Time to go home now?"

"Go home? But what about the ball? What about Christmas?!" Zinnia cried.

"Look around Zinnia, there's nothing less. We stopped Syndicate but at the cost of the ball. This was my fault pushing the people at risk…" Alton was about to walk off when he stepped on a pile of snow that began to fizzle and fall apart around him. "What the hell?"

The once destroyed ball began fading away into an empty lot with nothing. In the not so far distance lights burst into the sky. Gale and Emil started chuckling to themselves as Scarlett raised her eyebrow. "Something funny?"

"Perhaps I should explain?" Florence giggled nervously swirling her feet in the snow. "Emil and Gale approached me before the ball about a plan. Operation Lockhart, they called it?"

"Ah, ignore that… Basically, we set up a dupe ball to set a trap for Syndicate. The real Crystal Night ball is safe same with the citizens. No one was hurt."

Alton smirked faintly before this turned into a scoff and that into a full howl of laughter. "How the hell did I fall for something like that again?! You would think after Eyes Over Reality illusion powers wouldn't faze me…"

"So the ball is still on?" Scarlett whispered in shock.

"The ball is most certainly on."

Scarlett touched her cheek, seeing tears forming. She began rubbing her eyes, trying to stop the waterworks smiling. "Thank goodness."

****

"Finally decided to join us now, huh?" Diego teased sipping his hot chocolate. "I heard quite the uproar down the road. Your handiwork Alton?"

"A little help would have been nice."

Diego threw his cup aside. "Nah, you'd be just fine without me. Besides we were the backup incase Syndicate hit the real joint. You have the Hawthorne twins if shit hit the fan."

"Alice!" Alton mutters. He turns, seeing her sitting on the wall with an ice bag on her head. "Alice… Are you alright?"

"The Alice does, in fact, feel much better to thank you. However, she will require hot cocoa with extra marshmallows."

"That's the least I can do." He responded, turning to Iris. "Iris listen about what happened."

"Don't sweat it. You were in the heat of the moment. Alice doesn't remember it so she can't hold a grudge. I might hold a little one but you… You were only doing the right thing. I don't want to talk about it we were just about to head home. Hans doesn't like us being out this late. See you next year."

"What did she mean by seeing you next year?" Zinnia questioned.

As Alton was to answer the crowd began roaring with excitement. "It's Harmony."

Harmony, Tempo and Melody stood on stage, readying their instruments with Tempo on the drums and Melody on the guitar. Harmony approached the mic smiling. "Thank you all for coming… This is our first performance since we lost one of our own. Vivace, this goes out to you. This song is one we wrote for people who we owe a lot to. Heroes who saved not only my life but the lives of many others. Team Rhapsody this is for you."

The streamers began blending into the crowd as the high performance of drums and guitar began blazing. A fast tempo and upbeat melody were interjoined within perfect harmony as the band started playing. People began dancing to the instrumental as Scarlett had her heart to heart with Alton. "I wanted to apologise."

Alton leaned in, getting a better understanding of what she was saying. "What do you have to apologise for?"

"For everything you, everyone had to go through. My horrible family. Having to put my sister down and all on Christmas. I'm a really horrible friend, right?"

Alton punched her shoulder, shaking his head. "Don't be such a Scrooge; it all worked out in the end. Who would I be to turn my back on a friend? Besides, you would do the same for me in my shoes. None of us had the greatest upbringing… But helping you, putting that fuel between you and Riley to rest feels good. Like I almost did the same for my father and me."

Scarlett took Alton's hand comforting him. "No matter what. I'll have your back. You put your faith in me, and I'll do the same. When he comes for you, I'll fight with you."

"Scarlett come on up! You to Alton." Harmony yelled out.

"Oh, no, no, no." Alton threw away only for Scarlett to smirk dragging him on stage. "No!"

On stage, Alton stood idly looking terrified as Scarlett began dancing. Alton sighed just going with the moment dancing along. "♪ Who's there for you when our world is doomed, when you're alone and bored in your room. When the world doesn't do any good when you've had enough, there's a diamond in the rough. Oh! ♪"

Alton laughed moving around the stage, dancing with Harmony as he indicated everyone else to come up. Zinnia bolted to action to stage without a second thought as Emil and Gale were slightly more reluctant. "This is amazing!" She yelled.

Harmony walked around the stage, pleasing her fans, giving it her all as they all cheered on loving every moment. "♪ There's a diamond in the rough, my favourite streamer to give me love, like a diamond in the rough. Superheroes are enough! ♪" Harmony moved closer to the mic taking it slower tears forming in her eyes. "♪ There's a diamond in the rough… my favourite streamer to give me love, like a diamond in the rough! Superheroes are enough! There's a diamond in the rough, my favourite streamer to give me love, like a diamond in the rough. Superheroes are enough! ♪"

Tempo rocked out on the drums finishing off the song. The three came together hugging as the crowd went wild. Alton was panting overwhelmed as he held his hand up in victory. "That was insane. You really wrote that for us?"

"Not our greatest song. To be honest, Vivace was in charge of writing the songs. We hope we did her a sliver of justice…"

"She would be proud." Zinnia exclaimed. "We can't thank you enough."

"Bah, we require no thanks." Tempo laughs smacking Alton's back. "Just keep being heroes. The world can do that." 

"We promise."

Gale was leaning over the edge, whispering into the DJ's ear as he slipped him a twenty dollar note. Soon the whole crowd died down into silence as a slow song began echoing into the ball. Gale waltz over all proud as a small group of people merged into a slow dance. Harmony shook her head smirking. "Operation Lockhart, huh? Not bad Gale. Not bad."

Harmony all left as Alton sat on the stage, watching the crowd smiling. "This reminds me of my school prom. Oh, you have seen me, Gale, I looked like an idiot. Marco and I dressed in our best suits, hoping to pick up some girls. Both of us failed, and Sam took pity on me…"

Gale cleared his throat tilted his head towards Zinnia. "One's waiting for you."

Alton glanced at Zinnia scoffing, shaking his head in embarrassment. "So this was operation Lockhart… Ha, fine you win Gale… I'll humour you because it's Christmas."

Alton jumped off the stage, hands in his pockets, walking through the crowds weaving around towards Zinnia. He stood in front of her slouching smirking. "A Buffon told me you didn't have someone to dance with."

Zinnia looked up flushed seeing Gale staring on nervous. She closed her eyes smiled. "They really put you up to this, huh? I did promise Percy a dance for his prom, he would push me for this." She held her hand out. "Come on then."

Alton took it as the two walked into the crowd moving in together as the two shared a slow dance. Zinnia leaned her head on Alton's chest, letting him guide her. "Do we deserve this? After all, we've done. Do we deserve to be happy?"

Alton held her hand, looking to the sky curiously. "Everyone deserves to be happy… I'm sorry, I've been so caught up on what you could do. What he can make you do, I forgot just how important you are to me. You're the one to break me out my shell, give me a new purpose and befriend me when many others just didn't care. I wouldn't want to lose someone that precious. No matter what happens I won't ever push you away again Zin…"

Zinnia buried her face in his shirt, wiping her tears. "Never again… I love you, Alton." The two of them stared blankly as Zinnia ripped her head from Alton, staring at him a crimson red mortified. "Did I really just say that? I did, oh fuck! Please, forget what I said… I beg of you. I didn't say that!"

"Say what?" Alton asked, staring down at her lost. "I didn't hear anything, I think this storm is making it hard to hear anything."

Gale and Emil sat on the stage, watching their plan come to life drinking their hot chocolates. Both fist-bumped each other stoked. "Operation Lockhart is a major success. Merry Christmas you filthy animal."

"And a happy new year." Emil cheered too. "Our work here is done. This was great. We're real experts at this. Love, gurus."

"Don't ever call yourself that ever again," Scarlett whispered with a judgemental look as she glanced over at Alton and Zinnia dancing. She held her chest frowning. "Critical hit perfect knockout… Tch, you know how to break a girl's heart, Brantley…"

"What do you mean?" Gale asked, turning his head.

Scarlett smirked roughing his hair up. "Don't worry boys. Merry Christmas."

Gale glanced down at his watch, laughing. "And so it is. Midnight. Christmas day. Would you believe that? There is such thing as a Christmas miracle…"

Gale and Emil had another toast letting the music and the atmosphere carry them into the night. From a distance away from the action a man with well kept long white hair watched the ball leaning against the bars to the entrance. Staring at Alton, the bars began to freeze. He smiled with malice in his eyes, letting each word tremble off into the deep. "Merry Christmas oh son of mine, I've got quite the present for you."