Loki soaked himself in a hot bath, leaning his head into the water so that his black hair would be totally submerged but his face would be exposed. As a Frost Giant, his body was always chilled, and though he became stronger in the cold, he couldn't deny the sheer pleasure of warmth soaking his bones after a long battle. His relaxation was broken when Doom burst into the bath chamber.

"If you wished to see me undressed, you only needed to ask," Loki said, not bothering to stir.

"The Underworld mansion has been destroyed," Doom said, "my laboratory along with it. Morgan le Fay's handiwork, no doubt."

Loki sat up in the tub and ran his fingers through his hair to brush out the excess water. "Did she at least leave your toys behind?"

Loki made no efforts to mask the annoyance in his voice. If there was one thing Loki hated, it was for Doom's mind to be elsewhere during their time alone. After all, Loki was a jealous god and detested the notion that anything could be more important than himself at any given moment.

"Most of them, yes," Doom said, either not picking up on Loki's tone or not caring. "Though it troubles me greatly that she managed such a feat. I had thought our Overtakers better equipped to defend against infuriating interlopers, yet after one deity's temper tantrum, we lost one of our bases of operations."

"Put it from your mind," Loki said casually, though Doom knew it to be more command than suggestion. "We are quite close to having the power of the Book of Prophecies. Once we do, nothing else will matter."

Loki stood from the tub and walked over to Doom, not bothering to dry off or dress. "Listen to me: you and I are the only two people in all the universe who matter. If we must kill the rest of the Overtakers to get what we want, then we shall. However, I have little desire to waste a resource that may yet bare fruit."

Doom nodded in agreement. "But are the Overtakers a resource worthy of sharing the fruit with Doom?"

Loki smirked at that. "Why do you ask questions you've already decided the answer to? Do you think I do not know that you intend to take the book's power for yourself in the end? Every Overtaker worthy of being amongst our ranks is plotting the same."

"Your desires will not be ignored once the book is mine," Doom said, crossing his arms. "But the power to rewrite fate itself is for Doom and Doom alone."

Loki chuckled at that. "We shall see. The book's powers will be mine. I do so hope I won't have to kill you to get it."

"You will not have to worry about such a thing," Doom assured his lover. "Though I will certainly miss your company if you force my hand in killing you."

Loki lowered himself back into the bath. "Well then, we'd best make the moments before we must kill one another last. Join me!"

Doom laughed at that but obliged, dismissing his armor and discarding his under clothes. The tub wasn't large enough for both men to sit side by side, so Victor sat on the opposite end of the tub and rested his legs on top of Loki's. Victor's added volume caused the water to overflow a bit.

"Perhaps killing you for the book will not be necessary," Loki suggested. "After all, I can let you have the book and just manipulate you into doing my bidding."

Victor scoffed. "Doom cannot be manipulated by you, trickster."

Loki's hand crept up Victor's leg until he found what he was looking for. "I do believe I just confirmed that he can."

"WHO STOLE MY POTION?" Winnie shrieked, running into the dining hall of Villain's Vale after discovering that the child she'd abducted had already been drained.

"This is an awful morning to be hung over," Cruella whined, rubbing her temples and mentally swearing off gin for a while... which would of course mean for about an hour.

"What seems to be the problem? What potion?" Russell asked.

"My potion to allow me to suck the life out of little children!" Winnie growled. "The one I was working on when YOU so rudely interrupted! The child we captured is now dead, drained of life-force! SOMEONE used my potion without permission!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Russell said. "You brewed a big ole cauldron worth. Did someone take all of that?"

Winnie scoffed. "Of course not, you great buffoon. I have a plentiful amount left. But it was used to steal the life-force from the child!"

Russell growled at being insulted by the witch, but he wasn't in the mood to make a stink about it just yet. "So only one little crotch-dumpling is dead, and you've still got a great big pot of potion left over. That about cover it?"

Winnie nodded. "Yes, exactly."

"So just go find another fuckin' kid and shut the fuck up about it," Russell said with a sigh. "You really gonna walk around here screamin' about somebody usin' your shit that you've got plenty of? For fuck's sake!"

Winnie shrieked indignantly. "YOU DARE! That potion is MINE! And I won't tolerate-"

A strange hissing range in Winnie's ears as she locked eyes with Russell. The witch found herself unable to turn away as Russell began to glamour her.

"You're gonna forget about this God damn potion," Russell ordered. "And you ain't gonna breathe another word about anybody stealin' it. You understand me?"

"Of course, Mr. Edgington," Winnie nodded obediently.

"Good girl!" Russell said. "Oh! And one more thing: you consider it to be the highest possible honor to fed on by yours truly."

"I would be honored if you fed upon me, Mr. Edgington," Winnie agreed.

Russell grinned devilishly. "Don't mind if I do."

Russell chomped down on Winnie's neck and drank her blood greedily. Cruella wasn't sure if the feeling coming over her was due to the sight of Russell's breakfast or her hang over, but the next thing she knew, she had vomited on one of Maleficent's goons as it walked by. The goblin grumbled unintelligibly and ran off to the washroom. As Russell felt Winnie's pulse start to slow, he stopped himself. As much as he preferred to kill his prey, Maleficent wouldn't be fond of him murdering another Overtaker. Russell pricked his finger on one of his fangs and used his blood to heal the wound on Winnie's neck.

"Go on, get," Russell ordered, prompting Winnie to stumble out of the dining hall.

"Please tell me you're not going to do that to me next," Cruella said as she rinsed her mouth out with a shot of whiskey.

Russell laughed as if that were the funniest suggestion she could have made. "With your blood alcohol content? Puh-LEASE! In all seriousness, I do kinda wonder who snatched Winnie's potion." Russell then snapped as if he suddenly had an epiphany. "Oh, wait! Grimhilde was the last one in the room. I'll bet it was her."

"She certainly could use it," Cruella said with a laugh. "Maybe now she'll look like a slightly less ancient old hunchback."

At that moment, Grimhilde, now once again appearing young and queenly, strolled confidently into the room. Cruella and Russell's jaws dropped at the sight. She was totally unlike how she'd looked for as long as either Russell or Cruella had known her. Gone was the withered old hunchbacked witch, and, in her place, stood a queen with a regal air about her and a face that was truly beautiful.

"You know, I think now I understand why she was the Fairest One of All," Cruella said, unable to take her eyes off the queen.

Grimhilde beamed at the compliment and took her seat across from Russell and Cruella. "I am told our scheme in Radiant Garden has suffered a set back."

"Turns out Sora's smarter than he looks," Russell replied. "We may have lost our hold on the Riku boy, but Steve's still got the town in thrall. Our little Halloween prank worked like a charm. McDuck's comin' off worse than a wolf in a sheep flock."

"Excellent," Grimhilde nodded. "Though now the Key bearer is onto our scheme. It will be difficult to proceed now that he has been made aware."

"Oh, how I wish I could wring his scrawny little neck," Cruella bemoaned, earning a smile from Grimhilde.

"I myself am gettin' a bit of cabin fever here," Russell admitted. "I could run into town and kill everyone so easily. Yet I'm sittin' here on my hands playin' along with schemes that seem to lead nowhere. I love power as much as the next vampire, but it's been so long since I danced over the corpses of a slaughtered city of humans that I've feasted upon."

"Oh you paint such a lovely picture," Cruella said with a sigh.

"Patience," Grimhilde assured the vampire. "You will have your chance to slaughter without restraint, but if you try such a thing now, you will be met with great opposition. Once the Book of Prophecies is ours, you will be free to feast to your heart's content."

"Now you're soundin' like Maleficent," Russell remarked. "What happened to the cacklin' witch thing? I liked you better that way."

"Such behavior is unbecoming for a queen," Grimhilde said. "As long as I bare the visage of royalty, I shall not conduct myself in such a base manner."

Russell rolled his eyes. "Compared to Queen Sophie-Anne back on my world, you could belch your way through every meal and still seem more royal."

"Loosen up, Grim," Cruella urged. "You'll have more fun if you just let go."

"I shall be addressed as 'Your Majesty'," Grimhilde said. "Never as... Grim."

"Oh, get used to it darling," Cruella said. "You don't have any say in the matter of what I call you."

Grimhilde was about to argue when Blackheart entered the room covered in splatters of blood. The demon prince said nothing. He merely walked over to Cruella's untouched plate of breakfast, stole a piece of bacon, and walked back out.

Cruella pointed to her plate, then back to the door, then back to her plate with a confused look on her face. "What was-"

"Smelled like raccoon blood to me," Russell said as he opened the newspaper. "And frankly, I don't wanna know the story."

Hook stood at the helm of his ship as it soared through the colorful Etherium. Despite some aesthetic similarities, the Etherium was not simply outer space. Rather, it was a mystical roadway between dimensions that linked worlds together. The air was breathable, and the Etherium was host to its own unique breed of wildlife, such as the whale-like Orcus Galacticus. The colors of the sky were nothing short of breathtaking, and the entire thing made Hook's heart yearn for adventure. Perhaps one day, when the Overtaker mess was over, he could explore this Etherium for real. The pirate in him had already scoped out a few good places for rum runner caches.

"It does have a certain beauty, doesn't it?" Jafar asked as he approached.

"Aye that it does," Hook agreed. "The Jolly Roger and I sailed through many a realm, but we've yet to undertake such a voyage. I am forever in your debt for reuniting us."

"Why ever did you trade her away to begin with?" Jafar asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hook scowled, thinking back. His memories of the event were foggy and fragmented from his resurrection, but he knew the gist of it. "A woman. I hoped to earn her affections. But in the end, such a desire led to my untimely demise."

Jafar laid his free hand on Hook's shoulder. "Well, all has been righted now. You live again, and the ship is yours once more."

Hook looked at the hand on his shoulder and then back to Jafar's face. "Then there's just one question left to answer: why did you help me regain my ship and then fight to protect me from Doom? Kindness is a bit out of character for you."

Jafar's hand drifted from Hook back to down to the cobra head of his staff. "It is as I told you before. I don't trust very easily. In my experience, it is foolish to distribute trust freely. Because of that, without Iago, my path has been a quite lonely one. You were the first ally who truly comfortably filled that role. I needed someone young, willing, and able. And you? You clearly needed someone old enough and powerful enough to know better."

"So I'm a replacement parrot?" Hook asked, not sure whether to be offended or flattered. "That's all?"

"Well, you're also quite fair of face," Jafar added. "And I do quite enjoy keeping pretty things around."

"Ah, so it is true," Hook said with a smirk, his suspicions confirmed. "You desire me."

"One would have to be blind not to," Jafar answered. "Though with all your talk of the women you've pursued, I'm quite aware that you have little desire to be intimate with a man."

"I'm not as inexperienced on that front as you might think," Hook said. "I spent many a year in a world called Neverland, ruled by a bloody demon named Peter Pan. I was many things to him: adversary, lackey, bedmate... It wasn't an altogether unpleasant time, though it's not one I'd hasten to relive. But I would not be opposed to the occasional dalliance with you, on the condition that I maintain my freedom of choice during it."

Jafar nodded. "Very well."

"Excellent," Hook grinned, running his hook along the place where Jafar's robe crossed over his chemise. "Because, if I'm being perfectly honest, you caught my attention as well."

Jafar smirked and led Hook into the captain's quarters. Hook followed the sorcerer eagerly. The two men vanished below and locked the door behind them.

"World ho!" the lookout shouted from the crow's nest as Radiant Garden slowly came into view.

Hans gave the deck of the ship a once over to confirm that Captain Hook was not there. Obliged by duty to inform the captain that they approached their destination, Hans wandered to the door to the captain's quarters. He knocked and tried the handle, but the door did not budge.

"Captain?" Hans asked, pressing his ear to the door.

The sounds Hans heard coming from the other side immediately caused his face to turn bright scarlet. Hans backed away from the door, content to allow the captain as much privacy as he required.

Ursula and Fish strolled down the beach together as the sun began to set over the sea. With the Vance scheme utterly spoiled, Ursula needed to take her mind off the failure, and when she invited Fish to go on a little day trip to the beaches near Atlantica, the other woman agreed right away. Fish was dressed in a simple beach appropriate black tank top and red skirt, while Ursula slithered across the sand freely in her true form. Fish barely went anywhere without a fabulous pair of shoes, so walking barefoot and feeling the sand and sea water between her toes was an uncommon but not unappreciated sensation.

"Oh how I've missed he sea," Ursula sighed as she ran her tentacles through the cool water. "The air up here is so dry. I have to keep cabinets upon cabinets of lotions and oils just to keep my skin from shriveling up."

Fish never had considered how different the human world had to be for Ursula. So many things that Fish took for granted were totally alien to the sea witch.

"After all those years going by 'Fish', I never expected I'd befriend someone who was actually part fish," she admitted.

"Not a coincidence," Ursula said with a wave of her hand. "Just like it's not a coincidence that your first death was caused by drowning or that you were revived using the essence of a cuttlefish. In choosing that name for yourself, you tied yourself to the sea, and then you were reborn from it. It's a part of your destiny, my dear."

Fish had never thought about it like that. She'd never really been one to buy into ideas of destiny or fate, yet what Ursula said made a strange amount of sense. And, in truth, a part of Fish wanted it to be true, because that meant that fate was tying her to Ursula.

"Maybe some day I'll get to see the sea from your point of view," Fish replied.

"You can today, if you'd like," Ursula offered.

"You're kidding me," Fish said with a laugh, but Ursula's face seemed dead serious. "I mean... it's so... You're serious?"

A pink potion bottle appeared in Ursula's hands. "You need only say the word, and I can make you a mermaid... temporarily, of course."

On one hand, the last time Fish had gone into the water was when Penguin pushed her to her death. She still felt that lingering anxiety shortening her breath. Yet, on the other hand, whether it was a smart idea or not, Fish trusted Ursula, and she wanted to see the ocean that the sea witch knew. There really was no choice at all.

"I'd love to," Fish said.

Ursula led Fish further out into the shallows and gestured for Fish to extend a foot. Ursula uncorked the potion and from it poured out a single drop. The magical liquid took the shape of Ursula's face before solidifying into a large snowflake as it drifted down to Fish's foot. The potion had an icy sting to it, and once it touched her foot, Fish's entire leg began to feel a rush of energy. Pink lights seemed to circle around Fish's body like a maelstrom. Fish could feel her body being lifted into the air and plunged into the water.

Fish gasped for air as the lights cleared, but she found she had no difficulty breathing thanks to the spell. Fish definitely felt like she was underwater, but her eyes adjusted to the light very quickly. She found she had no difficulty seeing around her in all directions. Surprisingly, the salt water didn't sting her eyes either. It was harder to move through the water than it was through the air, but Fish also felt the freedom of not being constrained by gravity pulling her downward.

It was then that Fish finally had the sudden urge to look downward at her body. Fish's body looked as if she were wearing a skin tight strapless teal and sea weed green dress with fins lining it on both sides. Where normally a similar "dress" would open to her thighs and feet, her body opened to six matching tentacles that were considerably shorter than Ursula's. It was the body of a cuttlefish, just like the one Hugo Strange spliced into her DNA.

"My, my, you look nothing short of stunning!" Ursula complimented as she swam over.

"My nails are the wrong color for this body," Fish bemoaned, holding up her crimson nails against her fins.

"Next time we'll be sure to color coordinate," Ursula said with a deep chuckle.

Fish was amazed at the clarity of her and Ursula's voices even underwater. Everything Fish thought she knew about being underwater from her life as a human was proving to be completely incorrect for mermaids.

"Come on," Ursula beckoned, taking Fish's hand. "There's so much I wanna show you!"

Swimming as a mermaid had a learning curve to it for Fish, but Ursula's guidance and the instinct that the magic provided made moving through the sea second nature in no time. The underwater world was nothing quite like Fish had ever imagined. Somehow she'd always just assumed it was nothing but coral and sand, yet this was a world of vast canyons and mountains with forests of strange underwater vegetation and geysers that made their own light and heat. Fish let out a yelp when she saw before her an immense horrific sea monster with it's grotesque maw wide open. Yet, upon a second glance, Fish realized that the beast was nothing more than skeletal remains.

"Welcome to my home!" Ursula said with a dramatic gesture.

Ursula ushered Fish through the mouth into a large purple colored grotto whose décor was exactly what Fish would picture Ursula's home looking like.

"I like it!" Fish said. "It's got your individualistic flair to it."

"A comfortable place to hang my hat after my banishment," Ursula said as she swam over to the vanity and began to rifle through her drawers. "Let's see... Orange roughy? No, not your shade. Sardine silver? Mmm, too gaudy. AH! Moray green will go nicely with your tail!"

Ursula handed the bottle of nail polish to Fish, who accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, dear! For everything, really. Your world is... well, it's nothing short of breathtaking. It puts my city of bright lights and pollution to shame."

Fish popped open the bottle of nail polish. As Fish began to mask the red with the shade of green Ursula had picked out, she saw that it matched the green accents in her tail perfectly.

"I'm happy to share it with you, dear," Ursula said with a smile. "Of course, it'll be much nicer once I've taken over and kicked that miserable old codger off his thrown!"

"I'd love to see it," Fish said. "Maybe I can help decorate?"

"Honey, I'd be offended if you didn't," Ursula said with a laugh.

Ursula floated up to the large conch shell and plopped down in the opening. She patted the spot next to her to signify that Fish should sit down. Fish did as Ursula bade and nestled herself up under Ursula's arm.

"So, I've been picking up some signals," Fish said, coyly.

"Oh? What kind of signals?" Ursula asked.

"Signals that a certain sea witch might be interested in me," Fish replied with a wink.

"And if those signals are right, then what?" Ursula asked with a smirk.

"Then this would be the part where I finally got to kiss her," Fish replied simply.

Ursula didn't have to be told twice. The two women leaned in, confident in their own desire. Two pairs of ruby lips met in a long overdue embrace. The flavor of the sea water on their lips somehow made the kiss even more enticing. Fish may have been able to breathe easily under water, but this embrace took her breath away. As the two women pulled away from the kiss, the look they saw in each other's eyes told them that it had been exactly what the other had wanted.

"I hope we can keep doing this," Fish said, tracing the outline of Ursula's lips with her eyes.

"Of course, sweetie," Ursula replied. "I'd be so disappointed if I'd waited that long for just one kiss."

"Good," Fish said. "But I also have something else that I want from you."

"Oh? Now that just might rack up a steep price, dearie," Ursula said with a coy grinned that conveyed the message that she had no intention of extorting any real price.

"I'd like to learn a touch of magic," Fish said. "Could you help me become a sea witch?"

Ursula's grin turned from coy to sinister. "Oh, angelfish, you've come to the right place!"

Hades and Maleficent stood together in the balcony of the highest tower in Villain's Vale, looking out at the Great Maw and the rooftops of the town off in the distance. Last time they'd stood here together, Xemnas's onslaught of Heartless was at their doorstep. Now, they'd risen like a phoenix and were within striking distance of their ultimate goal. The growth was not lost on either.

"So, is now a good time to, y'know, talk about us?" Hades asked.

Maleficent nodded. "Indeed it is. But first, I know all about your story with Persephone. It is time you learned of my own tale."

"You don't have to if you don't wanna," Hades assured her. "I get it that you like to keep the kibosh on feelsy stuff."

"No, I must," Maleficent insisted. "If you are to be my partner, then you must understand from where I come."

Hades followed Maleficent into the council chamber. She tapped her staff on the floor and a glowing green circle manifested itself on the floor in front of them. From the circle emerged the translucent image of a maiden who, despite her simpler clothes and youthful features, was recognizable as Maleficent.

"Years ago, I was banished from Avalon to the Enchanted Dominion by Lord Oberon," Maleficent explained. "My first attempt to install myself as the Queen of Avalon was not successful. I was now a stranger in a strange land with little hope of returning to the fair isle."

The image of a young man then appeared next to the image of Maleficent. This young man had dark brown hair, a well trimmed mustache, and blue and yellow clothing that reminded Hades of the kind that Keyblade apprentices typically wore.

"I soon found a... companion," Maleficent continued. "He too came from another world and recognized me as a kindred spirit. Yet he had help travelling to this land: a mysterious key."

The image of the boy summoned the Star Seeker Keyblade to his hand. Hades realized exactly who this boy was after seeing that Keyblade.

"His name was, of course, Yen Sid. Back in his youth, before he became a withered old sorcerer hiding away in his tower, he was simply a Keyblade wielder travelling the worlds to obtain knowledge. There was an instant connection."

The images of young Maleficent and Yen Sid held each other in their arms. Then another image appeared: that of a hideous man who was clearly some breed of goblin. On his head the goblin wore a horned headdress that looked nearly identical to Maleficent's.

"Before the Forbidden Mountains were mine, they belonged to Erlking, the goblin king. He terrorized the Enchanted Dominion with his legions of goblin soldiers. Yen Sid, being the brave young hero, sought to defeat this heinous villain. I, longing to learn more of his key and feeling quite smitten with him, elected to follow."

The image depicted Yen Sid and Maleficent marching together on the Forbidden Mountains, and the two battling Erlking.

"With our combined might, we toppled the goblin king."

The image of Erlking fell in defeat and his horned crown rolled to Maleficent's feet. The image of Maleficent picked up the horns and placed them on her own head. She raised her staff into the air as images of a myriad of goblins bowed to her.

"I accepted the position as the new queen of the Forbidden Mountains. Yen Sid, being the great fool he was, was never comfortable with my decision to claim power, but I managed to convince him that it was important for us to fill Erlking's empty throne."

The Yen Sid image then kissed the Maleficent and disappeared.

"Eventually he had to return to his Keyblade training. I begged him to take me back with him, but he refused. There were laws against meddling in the affairs of other worlds."

The image of Maleficent changed into an older version looking more and more like the Maleficent of today.

"The years rolled by. I solidified my power in the region. Yen Sid returned to visit me thrice. By the third time, I had well established my reputation as the Mistress of All Evil."

An image of an older Yen Sid, now sporting a short beard and wearing a conical hat embroidered with stars and moons, appeared next to Maleficent.

"Yen Sid was troubled by the woman I had grown into. He feared my strength and deemed me cruel. He begged for me to turn away from my path for his sake. I refused. I could see quite clearly that his only intention was to hold me back. Yet he still held that Keyblade, the key to other worlds."

The images of Yen Sid and Maleficent began to battle each other with magic and various blades.

"We clashed and fought one another to a stalemate. After the battle reached its conclusion, Yen Sid denounced me and left, never to return to the Enchanted Dominion. It was not until Yen Sid's brother in arms Xehanort came to my world decades later that I was finally able to travel to the other worlds I so longed for."

The images faded and the green circle of magic disappeared from the floor. Maleficent then turned back to face Hades.

"So now you see why love is not an emotion I am overly eager to feel again. I will consent to our union, but there are rules that you must always follow."

"Hit me, babe," Hades replied. "I get it, and I'm here for you, not like that holier than thou wizard."

Maleficent nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. The first rule is this: I will never share flesh with you. There will be no physical consummation of our union. You may share your bed with anyone you desire. It matters not to me. But the one thing you must never do is share your heart with anyone else. Your heart is mine alone."

"Done. Check. You got it. Next," Hades replied.

"The second is that my ambitions will have priority. You will not hold me back. If I am confronted with a choice between you and my plans, I will choose my plans over you. Make peace with that now."

"Hey, I get it, but that won't be a problem, babe," Hades said. "I can hold my own."

"The third and final rule is the most important one. You must never leave me the way that Yen Sid once did. If you truly wish to be my partner, you must commit to me for as long as we both shall live. I will not endure being abandoned ever again. You've already attempted to do so once. See to it that it never happens again."

Hades wrapped his arm around Maleficent and pulled her in close. "Babe, I will never EVER leave you. I want us to be the universe's power couple for the rest of our immortal lives! I am so in!"

"Then it will be as you say!" Maleficent agreed with a smile.

A circle of green fire wrapped around both Hades and Maleficent's ring fingers. With a hiss, it solidified into two matching black iron bands with a fire design on the metal.

"With these rings, you, Hades, are my king, and I your queen."

"BADDA BING!" Hades said, happily as his blue fires flared up with excitement. "So, hey, I know that bow-chick-a-bow-wow is out of the question, but can I kiss you?"

"You may," Maleficent nodded.

Hades leaned down and pressed his lips gently to Maleficent's, not wanting her to feel pressured in any way. Maleficent, however, pressed her mouth to his forcefully and hungrily. The kiss was a blazing inferno of passion befitting the two fire elementals. Though they'd each loved and lost, they were confident that this union would truly be one for the ages.