Maleficent, Blackheart, Ursula, and the Sanderson Sisters gathered in the tower chamber of Villain's Vale. Maleficent had not fully gotten the chance to acquaint herself with the three witches that Blackheart stole from his father's Hell during the party the night before. As it turns out, word of Maleficent's power extended out to the Sanderson Sisters' home. They bowed before her and lauded her name.
"Maleficent...," Mary said, still in awe at the Mistress of All Evil being before her, "she is greener than I thought and the horns are-"
"SILENCE!" Winnie shouted. "O' great one, we art truly humbled to be in thy presence! We pledge ourselves to thee!"
Sarah had quickly gotten over the thrill of meeting Maleficent and wandered back over to Blackheart. The youngest Sanderson sister immediately started to pet and rub her head all over the demon prince's shoulders. Blackheart, not all considering the contact unwelcomed, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Winnie growled and rolled her eyes at the sight. Leave it to Sarah to attach herself to the one man in the room.
"Your service is most welcome," Maleficent nodded. "I expect nothing but the best from witches of your caliber."
"Marvelous!" Winnie said with clap as Mary parroted her.
"These gals could be very helpful in my scheme," Ursula said to Maleficent with a chuckle.
Maleficent knew the gist of Ursula's plan, and she was quite excited to see it play out. Normally such actions taken without Maleficent's prior approval were objectionable on principle. However, Ursula had proven herself time and time again to be one of the most powerful and resourceful weapons in Maleficent's arsenal, so the sea witch was given free reign. Though Maleficent would never admit it out loud, Ursula's scheme was fiendishly clever and not one that Maleficent herself would have thought of.
"What about the rest of us?" Blackheart asked, apparently taking a breather from having his nose in Sarah's hair. "What's the next phase of our plan."
"Before we harness the pen's power, we must find both the Author and the Ink," Maleficent said. "Yen Sid knows the identity of the mysterious Author, yet extorting that information from him will not be a simple task. This must be handled delicately."
"Too bad Xehanort stole the Worlds' Data," Ursula bemoaned. "Then maybe we could circumvent prying the information from Yen Sid's mind altogether."
"The Worlds' Data... of course!" Maleficent said in a sudden epiphany. "The data itself may have been stolen, but its contents were a digital projection of the journal."
"Winnie, is she gonna explain what she's talking about?" Mary whispered to her sister only to be promptly shushed.
"Do you not see plainly?" Maleficent asked. "The Worlds' Data was reminiscent of the Book of Prophecies because the journal came into contact with the Author's powers! So our next move is clear: we must... dissect a cricket!"
Before any of her allies could ask what a cricket had to do with the Book of Prophecies, a Corridor of Darkness manifested in the chamber, and Doom stalked out angrily.
"Maleficent, I consider myself a very reasonable man," Doom growled. "But I have little tolerance for being locked out of my own laboratory! I require access to the lyrium sample I was studying as well as to ensure Morgan le Fay remains trapped."
"What's wrong? Lose your key again?" Ursula asked with a chuckle.
"This is no jest," Doom growled. "I cannot access the mansion at all. Observe."
Doom cast a Corridor of Darkness to the mansion, yet as soon as the dark portal manifested itself, a wall of blue fire emerged, blocking entry. Maleficent squinted in frustration and walked over to the portal. She ran the tip of her finger nail across the fire wall, finding that it barred even her entry.
"Hades, you fool," Maleficent spat angrily. "I will attend to this at once!"
"Uh, boss, d'ya think Maleficent will be mad when she finds out you've closed her off from the Underworld?" Panic asked.
"Yeah, she kinda doesn't have the most patient personality," Pain added
"That's the idea, nitwits," Hades said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm sending Malef a very clear message: 'Look how badly ya need me, babe, see how things fall to pieces without my generosity.' I deserve to feel appreciated, 'kay? Ya got the concept?"
Pain and Panic both nodded, but Hades could tell that they didn't quite understand. Such was the price of having minions. He almost hated to leave the Underworld in their hands while he was off-world, but with the place on lockdown even towards the other Overtakers, there shouldn't be any reason the place couldn't just run itself. Besides, answering off-world beseechments was an important part of the franchising gig. If he didn't scoop this one up, Mephisto or Crowley would, and there was no way he was losing to demons.
"Now, Cerberus needs to be walked twice a day, and when ya go, take the extra extra EXTRA large doggie doody bags and do NOT flush them down the Styx again," Hades instructed. "Keep the Hydra away from the Lethe pool, don't let Memnon start an improv group, and for GODS' sake, if I come back to find Caucasian Eagle hanging around with his resume asking me for a job AGAIN and he hasn't been immediately shown to the door, you two will have a PERMANENT position as his new all you can eat liver buffet!"
Hades threw his suitcases into his chariot and whipped his steed onward. The time away would do him good, and once he returned, it was only a matter of time before Maleficent was on her hands and knees begging for him to return. Hades grinned to himself, completely certain of the success of this plot.
About thirty minutes after Hades left, Pain and Panic were playing a game of ping pong on Hades's globe depicting chessboard when the palace doors swung open with a gust of wind. Lightning cracked indoors, and Pain and Panic clung to each other in fear as an emerald flame where the lightning crashed took the form of Maleficent.
"Where is he?" Maleficent asked sternly, her voice echoing powerfully throughout the chamber.
"What do you take us for? A couple of snitches?" Pain said, trying to sound brave and fearless.
"Y-yeah!" Panic stuttered out, following his compatriot's lead. "We'll NEVER tell!"
Maleficent gritted her teeth in frustration. "INSOLENT FOOLS!"
When her staff began to crackle with lightning, Pain and Panic flinched in anticipation of what came next. Maleficent hurled lightning bolts at the two imps, causing them to cry out in pain. They may have been used to Hades's abuse, but Maleficent's lightning was a new breed of punishment that they were not prepared for.
"He's off world! Off world!" Panic sobbed.
"Yeah, he's answering a beseechment," Pain added.
Green fire roared behind Maleficent, making her look even more powerful and demonic. "WHERE?"
Doom's outrage over being denied entry to his own laboratory caused him to pace about Villain's Vale in frustration. Loki sat atop a column observing him with a smirk. It was rather amusing how irritated Doom got without any of his toys to play with. He was almost childlike in his impetuousness.
"You require distraction," Loki said, drawing Doom's attention to him.
"This is not the time for you to initiate fornication," Doom spat. "I am in no mood."
Loki rolled his eyes and scoffed in a rather offended manner. "You think me only capable of physical ambitions? You wound me! Come now, my good doctor, you did not fall for me over my sexual prowess alone."
Doom stopped pacing and turned to face Loki. "Then what exactly did you have in mind?"
"If your inability to play with your lyrium sample is truly causing you distress, we know exactly where we can get more," Loki said.
"For a price," Doom scoffed. "I had hoped to spare us further dealings with Imshael until we could be absolutely certain that the lyrium would be of use to us."
Loki hopped down from his perch and wrapped his arm around Doom's shoulders. The trickster god flicked his wrist and opened a portal back to the world of Thedas where they'd last encountered Imshael.
"But there are other ways to learn what we need to learn," Loki said with a grin.
"And just where do you think you two are going?" Jafar asked as he approached.
"I believed I missed the part where I ever owed an explanation to you," Loki said with a sneer.
"INSOLENT CURR, HOW D-," Jafar began before dialing back and thinking better of it. "My... apologies. I am... unaccustomed to working with allies of a similar caliber to myself. The truth of the matter is that I'm growing restless with a miserable lack of purpose. I was hoping that I might accompany you towards a goal of more substance."
Jafar was far from Loki's favorite ally in the Overtakers, but the old sorcerer did earn Loki's respect for being as ruthless and sneaky as he was. A simple mission to obtain lyrium would likely not be what Jafar had in mind, but if they ended up needing armies of mindless test subjects, Jafar's hypnosis would be invaluable. Perhaps they might even find common ground on their quest.
"Very well, you may join us," Loki said. "We are looking into a new type of power, and potentially creating a bit of mischief on the world of Thedas."
Jafar grinned wickedly at that. "Mmm, sounds most diverting! I shall come, but I would like to take a valet along with me."
Loki and Doom shot each other confused looks, neither one knowing who Jafar could be referring to.
"A valet?" Doom asked.
Jafar tapped his staff on the ground and opened a Corridor of Darkness that deposited Hook in the room with them. Apparently Hook had been standing to use the restroom at the time of his involuntary teleportation as he quickly scrambled to fasten his pants closed and to draw attention away from the new puddle adorning the hallway.
"Bloody hell!" Hook spat. "Warn me before you do that!"
"You'll be accompanying me to Thedas," Jafar said. It was not a request.
Hook groaned but didn't bother trying to argue. He mentally kicked himself for ever having been polite to Jafar at the party. He should have known better. Dark sorcerers were always so demanding and entitled towards his time and assistance. It was Cora all over again.
"Shall we?" Jafar said as he proceeded through the portal.
Doom followed after. Loki gave Hook an amused smirk and ushered him though, intrigued by the Overtakers' newest member.
Ratigan hurriedly closed his final suitcase and loaded it onto the blimp, flinching at every flick of the light. He had to skip town before the Overtakers remembered to come after him. With a few magic charms from Grimhilde's potion cabinet, Ratigan was confident he could open a portal to escape back to his home world where the worst thing to worry about was Basil of Baker Street, not a coven of evil sorcerers. Ratigan hastily untied the blimp from its anchor. Free at last! Free at last!
"Just where do you think you're going?" Fish's voice was like a bullet to the chest.
Ratigan hastily retied the knot and turned to face Fish and Ursula with a fake grin. "Ah, the Overtakers, I'm so pleased to see you. I do hope our last run in hasn't left you too upset with me. After all, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and yours."
"HA! Oh sweetie, you're buttering me up more than an lobster!" Ursula said.
"Now I know you weren't trying to skip town on us, Professor," Fish said, knowing full well that that was exactly what he was doing. "Because that's a good way to get yourself killed. You owe me that cut of your gang, remember? And I'm here to tell you, I don't need the cash value from you right now; I need you to procure some property for my dear friend Ursula here."
Ursula produced a list of the desired property pieces from her bosom and handed it to the rat. He skimmed over it, looking to be thoroughly drained of all will to live by being reduced to this.
"It'll take time to arrange everything," Ratigan said.
"You have three days," Ursula said. "Before the sun sets on the third day, I'll expect them move-in ready. I simply won't have a good day if you don't... and neither will YOU!"
Ratigan grimaced at that threat. "Understood."
"Oh! And there is one more thing...," Ursula said slyly.
A brilliant purple light appeared between Ursula's thumb and pointer finger. Ratigan was both entranced and fearful of the tangible power. Like a snake striking, Ursula thrust the light into the Professor. Ratigan flinched, preparing for the worst, but when he patted himself down, he found he was still quite alive and sighed with relief.
"A tracking spell," Ursula said, answering the unasked question. "That way, my little poopsies can find you, no matter what world you're on... Just in case you get lost."
Watching Ursula subjugate the rodent whose nasty rats gave her such a close encounter the other day caused Fish to let out a sinister chuckle. She loved the way Ursula operated. The Sea Witch was exactly Fish's brand of twisted.
"Now then, my angelfish," Ursula said, turning her attention back to Fish, "we have still more preparations to make for my big plan!"
The fate of Storybrooke still weighed heavily on Sora's mind, but he had other things to worry about. Right now, however, it was time for cheer to replace the worries. Today was Riku's eighteenth birthday, and Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi were hard at work putting up decorations for a birthday surprise. Sora was disappointed that Riku hadn't been back at the tower when he returned from Storybrooke and was anxious to see if Riku was happier and doing better. Riku was due to be back any minute now, and Sora wanted nothing more than to see his friend smiling again.
"Hey, Goofy, catch!" Sora said, tossing his companion a roll of streamers.
It was only after he'd thrown it that Sora realized what a terrible idea it was to have Goofy catch anything. Goofy fumbled with the streamers as if they were a bar of soap. Each time he grabbed for it and missed, the streamers came more and more unrolled, tangling up his hands and feet more and more. With his trademark holler, Goofy tripped into the ladder Donald was standing on top of to pin up Riku's birthday sign, and both of them took a tumble.
"Oops," Sora said. "Sorry guys."
Donald angrily squawked something unintelligible. Sora noticed that Kairi was sitting off to the side, taking a break from decorating to draw in her sketchbook.
"What'cha drawing?" Sora asked, walking over to her.
"I don't know yet," Kairi said. "I've been sketching a lot lately. It's like I get these visions that I can't see, but if I get them down on paper, somehow they're exactly what my mind was trying to imagine... I know it sounds weird."
"No, not weird at all," Sora said. "It's probably because you merged together with Naminé. She used to sketch all the time."
"Yeah," Kairi nodded. "I think so too. It would explain why I can't see what I'm sketching until I have it drawn, because it's her that sees it and she lets my hands follow."
Sora took a look at the picture taking form. Though it was a crude and rudimentary sketch, Sora could make out what looked like a woman with blue hair and bright yellow eyes holding some kind of box. By all accounts, it looked like King Mickey's descriptions of Master Aqua. Was it possible that Naminé was trying to warn them about her?
The door opened and Merryweather, one of the three good fairies who occasionally stayed at Yen Sid's tower, came into the room with a large birthday cake with yellow and blue icing and chopped Paopu Fruits on top.
"You're lucky you asked me to make the cake instead of Fauna," Merryweather said as she set her masterpiece down on the table. "Otherwise you would've had a- Oh goodness gracious!"
Merryweather caught sight of Donald and Goofy's tangled mess of streamers and other decorations. She pulled out her wand and let a streak of blue light fly from it. In a blink of blue magic, all the streamers moved into place by themselves, the sign found its way to its spot, and the ladder waddled back over into the closet.
"Get offa me, ya big palooka," Donald said as he struggled out from under his friend.
"Anyway, I saw Riku coming up from one of the windows!" Merryweather said. "I'll let him know to come in here!"
With a spark of blue and a tingling sound, Merryweather vanished to go get their friend. Sora suddenly got very nervous. This was the first time he was going to see Riku since Ursula's spell. Sora suddenly became very aware that Riku could be coming back with some horrible monkey's paw version of happiness that he didn't think to consider. If that was the case, Sora would do whatever it took to make things right again. The door opened yet again, and, at last, in walked their familiar silver haired friend.
"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled in unison. "Happy birthday!"
Riku had a huge grin plastered on his face. So Ursula had come through for Riku after all. Riku went around the room giving out hugs to everyone.
"You doing good?" Sora asked.
"I am," Riku nodded. "Actually, a little better than good."
Riku turned around behind him and waved someone else into the room. A handsome young man with short ebony hair walked in. He was dressed in a light blue long sleeve shirt with a navy vest worn over it and all black attire from the waist down. The young man had eyes a deep shade of blue that reminded Sora of the sea, and, around his neck, he wore a silver necklace with a strange ornament that Sora couldn't quite make out.
"Guys, this is Vance," Riku said. "He's... uh, well, he's my new boyfriend."