V.I.R.A.L

A young man was on his knees, bleeding out. A heavy downpour washed his sins away as he collapsed to the ground. Gasping, fighting for air, his vision became blurry as a single young girl stared down at him with little remorse. "Are you proud of yourself, Archie? Did you find any value in throwing your life away like this? I had higher hopes in you, but it appears you couldn't even get past the first hurdle."

Archie didn't respond, his ruined blonde hair covering his face as he stared on, losing any sort of will to live. As the girl stood up, turning away, she stopped hearing him whispering. "I can't accept this…. I can't accept this…. I can't accept this."

"You can't be serious…. Give it up, Archie, accept your fate and rest."

Archie gripped the girl's leg, stunning her beyond belief. "I can't give up on you. I want to be there to protect you; I want to stop anything bad from ever coming your way. I can only accept the outcome where you let me stand by your side. So please, don't give up on me like I will never have for you."

The girl stared down at Archie, slurring her words. "You really mean that? You stupid liar, I barely know you. I know nothing about you. Likewise, you know nothing about me."

"That's wrong…. You're Stella, you have no last name and was forced into the position of taking on the role of the Gardener. It wasn't of your choice. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You wish for us all to be free, free from our past and free from the chains of our stages. But the logic of one won't care for that. It will only be a matter of time before another stage overpowers you and takes the crown."

Stella continued to stare; her blinding yellow eyes began to tear up as she hid her face under her indigo-coloured hair. "Such show of emotions is seen as a weakness in the eyes of the Garden. I cannot judge or be judged, or else I fear my own death. Regardless of what happens, I must keep my act up and be the Gardener, the one to rules overall."

"Liar! He yelled, making Stella snap. "Liar."

"Don't call me such things when all you do is lie to yourself, Archie! I saw you, watched you drown yourself in knowledge. It consumed you as you took in every book, folktale and legend into that thick head of yours. That's all you cared about! Why, why do you stand here and lie to me?!"

"The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one. The books, knowledge, power. All of that was to find a way. To find a way to free you, I'm not a good person. I'll accept that, but all I need to be happy is for you to be free."

Stella looked away, wiping her eyes whimpering. "You big dummy…. Fine! You should be able to stand now, Archie." Archie found himself in no such pain with all his wounds magically healed. Dumbfounded, Stella turned back around, holding out a small bud. "Here."

"What is it?"

"Your promise." She spoke with a bit of smile appearing. "Eat this and let the seed of Acceptance grow within you."

"Wait…. You want me?"

"I do indeed. Become my Acceptance Archie. Bestow the fate you see fit onto this world and find the one true Salvation you seek. There is no one else I wish to have it than you."

Archie was handed the seed of Acceptance as it glowed a soft purple in his hand. "I won't let you down, Stella. I promise I'll free you from your prison and break down this logic of the one forever. I'll carry out our wish till my last breath."

"I hold high hopes for you, Acceptance."

****

Vines wrapped around Acceptance, blocking the barrage of attacks sent his way. Forced back, he was heavily outnumbered, with not much way out. Alton slammed to the ground, moving his arm around, breaking the thin layer of ice from his arm. "Just as I expected. You're nowhere near as powerful as the other stages. You're the brains and back of the Garden who can trick and manipulate the masses, but in a fight, you crumble apart."

Acceptance gritted his teeth holding his hand out as dozens of giant vines ripped from the ground towering over the three friends. "Is that what you see me as?! You couldn't even begin to imagine just how far I'm willing to go to succeed. I will not let Stella's dreams die with me!"

Sam flew down, ripping through each of the vines propelling herself back up, now facing to face with Acceptance. Throwing a punch, a flaming burst of scorching fire ignited all around him, already burning Acceptance's face. Looking to shield himself, he wasn't given a chance as Iris' cube snapped around, stunning the stage for a split second. Now set alight, all the vines burst away as Acceptance collapsed to the ground. Pulling himself up, Alton launched a sharp array of ice his way. "Don't let him even get a moment to think; we have him right where we want the bastard!"

Iris clenched her fist tightly, smashing it down as her cube took the form of her fist, crushing Acceptance underneath her fury. "This is for Monty and everyone else you've ruined with your greed!"

Acceptance was smacked around, falling to his knees, panting. Lowering his head, he stared down at the drops of blood falling from his face. His suit was torn and burnt, his hair a ragged mess and his hopes fading. "Right back where we started Stella…. Whenever I'm on the verge of defeat, I look back to that day and remind myself. I'll carry out our wish till my last breath!" Changing the world around him constantly, the flashes of Rhinefield, New York and Sunset Peak all fought from dominance as he wasn't giving in to his demons anytime soon. "I cannot lose; I refuse to give up because, like me, she never did either, so fall beneath my ideals and suffer! Garden's Mig-."

Alton appeared, pinning Acceptance against the wall holding him up slowly freezing him over. "That's enough of that."

Acceptance's attacks were stopped as he was thrown to the ground with nothing left up his sleeve. "No, no. I haven't lost yet. I can never lo-." Acceptance stopped midsentence struggling to breathe. Lying on his back, he held his throat, gagging for his failing breath with a look of horror. "No, no. Not yet."

"What's wrong with him?" Iris questioned.

Alton stood over Acceptance with a smirk. "Not even the Stages can escape from their own curses. Acceptance failed to accept the truth and kept denying the fact that he can never win against us. For that, he will drown in his own self-pity and lies. How ironic you fall like this."

"Stella…. Stella…. Please, give me a sign." He gurgled with his last breaths.

Alton waited, taunting the man. "Stella, I take it she was the last Gardener. You said the present rulers overthrew the last champion for showing too much weakness. You were following her orders like a dog, were you not?"

"No…. No, Stella was different. She was my light. When that filth cut her down, I was left empty. Without a purpose, but her words kept me going. I must free everyone from their grasp, no matter what."

Holding his hand out, Alton unleashed a sword of ice as he held it over Acceptance. "Well, you, like the many others, won't get their wish granted. Any wish of happiness that is built on the failure of others is no wish at all. Accept this and give me the power to crush my foes. Hand me your stage."

Before Alton could finish the deed, Sam tackled him to the ground as a sharp vine slashed her stomach. Falling to the floor, Alton glanced up, seeing Acceptance escaping into the portal and into the heart of the Garden. Rushing to his feet, Alton snapped. "Why did you stop me?! I could have ended this!"

Iris ran over, helping Sam as she looked worried. "Sam…. Alton, she's hurt bad."

Alton snapped from his rage-fuelled might coming to his senses. Kneeling down, he helped Sam up. "Come on, soldier on your feet!"

Sam grunted in pain as Alton froze over her wound. "Thanks…."

"That should be good for now until you both escape."

"Us? What about you?" Iris exclaimed, confused.

Alton turned to the portal grinding his teeth. "I can't leave empty-handed, not when I was this close to taking it. It's like what Charmeine said, the only way to defeat the Garden is to fight fire with fire. I'm taking his stage."

"Are you mad?! It's like he said, that's the entrance to the Garden. Even if you managed to reach Acceptance, we have no idea what the hell is waiting for you. Why risk it?"

"Because that's all I can do. If I go back up with you two and the Garden attacks again, we die. Fair and simple. I'm never going to get an opportunity like this again. Acceptance falls here and now. Take Sam and get out now, Iris. That's an order!"

"Do…. As he…. Says Iris." Sam whispered, panting. "Alton will come back to us. He won't let them win."

"You better promise us you come back!" Iris snapped, taking Sam and fleeing.

Alton approached the gate, staring onwards, running his hand against the purple flowers growing from it. "After all these years, we are finally faced to face once again. How many lives did you ruin before me, before the fall? How many more do you plan on ruining? This ends today…. Ready or not, here I come."

Alton took one final breath before taking the leap of faith and heading into the belly of the beast and descending into the Garden.