Under the guise of being Lord d'Onterre and an assembly of visiting diplomats from the east, Loki secured himself and his fellow Overtakers invitations to Empress Celene's Winter Solstice Ball in the Winter Palace. As was customary in Orlais, all of the Overtakers wore masquerade masks in the style of their various ensembles, save for Doom who opted to simply wear his standard iron mask. It wouldn't win him any points in The Game, but it certainly wouldn't draw any extra unwanted attention from the nobility.
What did draw unwanted attention was Sarah Sanderson's attempts to seduce Empress Celene, which involved an excessive amount of groping and inappropriate touching. Needless to say, Sarah was removed from the Winter Palace after that display, leaving only Amora and Grimhilde in the running for the title of Fairest One of All. To Loki, however, none of it mattered. There were but a distraction so that he could put his own plans in motion. He and Doom observed the ballroom as they loitered around the cheese plate.
"Lord Loki d'Onterre?" a masked gentlemen asked as he approached them.
"Ah, Duke Gaspard! How nice to see that you remain in good health," Loki said with a grin. "Allow me to introduce you to my dear friend, Lord Victor von Décès, current holder of Suledin Keep."
"Charmed, I'm sure," Gaspard said with a courteous bow to Doom. "Though last I'd heard, Suledin Keep was an Inquisition fortress."
"I liberated it from their incompetence," Doom answered.
Gaspard laughed. "Well met, Lord von Décès! The Inquisition has had all of Orlais leashed for some time now, but Lord Trevelyan's influence is fading at last. A new era is upon us. Celene should proceed with the utmost caution."
"If you've done as I told you, Celene will be taken care of before the night is through," Loki said. "You have set everything in place, have you not?"
"Of course!" Gaspard replied. "I loathe The Game and all who play it, but I am more than willing to stoop to the level of my opponents if it means rescuing this empire from Celene."
"You and I both know that your 'loathing' of The Game is but the mask you wear," Loki remarked. "No need for the honey amongst the three of us."
Gaspard simply smirked. "Old habits, I suppose. Then again, that was more for the servants' sake than yours. Briala's knife-eared spies hear everything."
The fanfare of the royal trumpets drew the attention of all within the ballroom, causing a hush to fall upon the crowd.
"Now presenting Queen Grimhilde of the Dwarf Woodlands."
"Ah, the queen is making her move," Loki said slyly as he secured a vantage point for Grimhilde's entrance.
Empress Celene stood at the head of the ballroom as Grimhilde walked to the center of the dance floor, accompanied by a young muscular man dressed in animal hides and wearing black war paint around his eyes.
"Your majesty," Celene said with a curtsy.
"Your majesty," Grimhilde replied as she reciprocated the gesture. "Your hospitality in known even in the reaches of my kingdom, and I find myself quite impressed by the festivities you've offered this evening."
"I fear I cannot say the same for your kingdom, your grace," Celene admitted. "Though with the constant warfare, who can truly keep track of the nations sprouting up across Thedas and beyond? Later we would be delighted to hear stories of your kingdom."
"Perhaps we can begin with the Tale of the Huntsman," Grimhilde said as she gestured to the man standing at her side. "He weaves quite a... compelling story."
Celene smirked. "I suppose I will be the judge of that."
Grimhilde turned to her minion, and her tone completely shifted from the honey that she had used on Celene to a harshness and intensity. "You know the plenty if you fail!"
And, indeed, the Huntsman knew it quite well. All within their home world knew the fate of Humbert the Huntsman, the kind-hearted man who spared Snow White despite Grimhilde's orders. His corpse was hung on the castle walls for months afterwards. The new Huntsman, however, was a man bereft of mercy. He longed to shed blood on his queen's behalf, but, for now, a show was all that was needed.
The Huntsman discarded his hat and cape and began an elaborate and well choreographed display with his axes. He juggled and twirled them flawlessly, captivating the entire audience. Though his display was simply choreography, there was no doubt in anyone's minds that he could wield his axes with deadly accuracy if need be. Even Celene seemed to be mesmerized by the display, a fact that pleased Grimhilde very much.
"An intriguing move from the queen," Loki remarked.
"What I would not give to have so talented a warrior in my employ," Gaspard stated.
The Huntsman completed his routine and earned thunderous applause from the party goers. Grimhilde beamed at how well her plan was working. This Huntsman had not disappointed her, and so he would live on... for now.
"Your majesty has shared quite a treat with my court," Celene said. "It is not every day we meet a man with his set of talents, nor a queen with so fine a possession. Please do me the honor of remaining in my company for the duration of the evening."
"Your grace is far too kind," Grimhilde said with a smile.
Grimhilde dismissed her Huntsman and took her place at Celene's side. Even Loki had to admit that he was impressed that Grimhilde had secured such a strategic victory in their little game. He almost regretted that her efforts would be in vain... almost.
"Hand over the Fist of Might, and I'll spare your miserable lives," Mephisto ordered as he extended his greedy claws.
Maleficent glanced to her left where Ursula, Jafar, and Hook were standing. They each gave her a firm nod. Maleficent then glanced to her right towards Hades, Pete, and Winnie who did the same. Maleficent smiled deviously as she turned back to Mephisto.
"No," she replied.
With a tap of her staff against the ground, Maleficent beckoned for the Fist of Might to unleash a powerful shockwave against Mephisto, the Horned King, and the Cauldron Born. The Overtakers' enemies were sent flying backwards as the Overtakers each chose their opponents. As the Cauldron Born began to stagger to their feet, Hook, Pete, and Winnie formed a line between the undead soldiers and the other four Overtakers.
"Sorry mates, I'm afraid you'll be quite unable to aid your masters this time," Hook said as he drew his sword.
"There ain't no way we can take 'em all," Pete said.
"Cowardly fool!" Winnie sneered. "We simply must keep them preoccupied until their masters can be slain."
"Look alive, mates, for they certainly won't!" Hook called out.
The Cauldron Born did not wait to rush into action. Hook found himself surrounded by three Cauldron warriors wielding blades. Hook's talent with a sword, however, proved far superior to that of the Cauldron Born. He parried every blow that came his way and used the Cauldron Born's own sluggishness against them, causing them to knock into each other and shatter bones.
"Get outta my way!" Pete called out as he barreled into a cluster of Cauldron Born.
Pete used his immense size and strength to knock the undead warriors aside. He punched and kicked and threw his weight around, barely giving the Cauldron Born a chance to attack.
Winnie cackled as a group tried to rush towards her. She unleashed a wave of lightning that stunned and immobilized her opponents.
"Now then, where shall I put thee?" Winnie asked before glancing up to the cave ceiling. "AHA!"
Winnie shot a small spark of lightning towards the ceiling, creating a static pull between that point and the Cauldron Born. The skeletal warriors didn't know what hit them when they found themselves pulled up and stuck to the ceiling with no way to get back down.
"YOU!" Jafar called out angrily as he approached the Horned King. "No one keeps Jafar under heel! I still owe you a dreadful demise for what you did on the Master's behalf!"
"You think your petty sorcery is a match for me?" the Horned King asked as he pulled himself to his feet. "My power was enhanced and perfected by that of the Great Old Ones!"
"Then maybe this snake in the grass could use a lil' help," Ursula said as she slithered up to Jafar's side. "I happen to have an extra special touch of magic I've been cultivating, and you're gonna get to be the first person I destroy with it!"
Ursula's sea shell necklace began to glow as she took on her Vanessa form. However, instead of her usual dress, Ursula was dressed in purple and blue coral armor with gauzy navy fabric strips creating the illusion of tentacles below her waist. Ursula extended her hands outward and summoned up two magic tridents, one in each hand.
"They may not be as powerful as Triton's, but they'll do," Ursula said with a laugh.
"Enough theatrics!" the Horned King bellowed. "Now you will taste my power!"
The Horned King discarded his robes, revealing that he was wearing armor that covered everything except his arms. His arms were bare and stained crimson with blood. The Horned King unsheathed a broadsword and pointed it menacingly at his opponents. With a roar of bloodlust, he charged towards Ursula, preparing to drive the blade into her heart. Ursula, however, was quicker and used the prongs of one of her tridents to catch the blade. She then stabbed the second towards the Horned King's abdomen. He jumped back to avoid being impaled.
Jafar raised his staff in the air, and, at his command, blades began to fall from the sky stabbing down towards the Horned King. The king had to jump out of the way and knock the blades aside. This distraction provided Ursula with the opportunity to start hurling bolts of purple energy from her tridents at the Horned King. The bolts struck his knees, causing him to kneel in pain. However, the Horned King wasn't about to give up yet. He twirled his broadsword around and plunged it into the ground. The ground beneath their feet began to shake, and Jafar and Ursula lost their footing.
"Tentacles of the Master!" the Horned King called out as his left arm extended out into four red tentacles identical to those possessed by Octomus.
Two tentacles latched onto Ursula's tridents and the others tried to reach out for Jafar's staff. However, Jafar managed to fly backwards to avoid the attack. Ursula was not so lucky. The tentacles squirmed over the tridents before pulling back, taking with them the magic that Ursula imbued her weaponry with.
"Do you have any idea how long I spent enchanting those?" Ursula asked angrily.
"Be thankful he didn't grab you, my pet," Jafar said. "Remember what the Master was able to do to Grimhilde?"
"Which is exactly what I'm planning to do to you both!" the Horned King threatened.
"Think so? I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve, big boy," Ursula said as she ran her fingers over her necklace.
A group of Search Ghost Heartless manifested in front of the Horned King at Ursula's command. The phantasmal entities floated about with beams of search lights pouring from their empty eye-sockets.
"You think simple Heartless are a match for me?" the Horned King asked with a laugh.
"Oh but they've got a special magic in them," Ursula taunted.
"Then I shall take it!" the Horned King declared as his tentacles wrapped around each of the four Heartless.
"Jafar, that's your cue," Ursula said.
Once again, Jafar called for blades to rain down, only this time he arranged for them to strike at the tentacles. The Horned King was unable to retract them quickly enough, and with four swift motions, they were severed. The king roared out in pain and he tucked his bleeding arm under his elbow.
"Oh dear, that must smart!" Jafar teased. "Though surely you must get the point by now!"
"You could even say ol' horn-head was on the chopping block, HA!" Ursula declared.
"SHUT UP YOU FOOLS!" the Horned King growled.
"No, I hardly think I will," Jafar said. "What do you say, my dear Ursula? Shall we show him our grand finale?"
"Mmm, great minds think alike!" Ursula said with a laugh.
Ursula and Jafar both activated their magic at once, and, as they did, bright red and purple fireworks began to explode around the Horned King. He cried out in pain as the fires burned his flesh and the blasts knocked him around,. He was completely unable to escape. Ursula and Jafar's cackles harmonized as their fireworks display roared in front of them. Hook, Winnie, and Pete applauded from the sidelines. When the fireworks cleared, the Horned King was nowhere to be found.
"Hmph, slippery little morsel," Ursula said.
"No matter," Jafar said. "He has learned not to interfere in our affairs any longer."
Maleficent and Hades, meanwhile, found themselves face to face with Mephisto while the others were occupied with the Horned King and his soldiers.
"Just puttin' it out there, babe," Hades said. "But you've always been my LEAST favorite fellow Underworld lord."
"And yet I'm the one you have the most in common with," Mephisto pointed out. "Self-loathing much?"
"Silence, demon!" Maleficent ordered. "You think yourself to be the one true Lord of Hell? Allow me to show you what all the powers of Hell truly look like!"
The Fist of Might began to glow, and with a wave of her staff, Maleficent unleashed an enormous thunderbolt onto Mephisto that knocked the demon into a wall and did not relent. Mephisto roared with fury as the energy tore him apart. He clenched his teeth and fought through the pain to create an obsidian arrow of Hellish energy floating next to him. With a sweeping motion, he hurled the arrow towards its target. Maleficent shrieked in pain as the arrow pierced her shoulder, causing her to end her spell.
"MALEF!" Hades called out as he ran towards her.
Mephisto, however, telekinetically threw him to the side. The demon king approached the wounded Maleficent himself and laughed wickedly as he kicked her in the jaw, causing her to drop her staff and roll to the side. Mephisto grinned, baring his pointed teeth, as he knelt down in front of the scepter. The Fist of Might was ripe for the taking. Mephisto extended his claws towards it when a blast of fire knocked him aside.
"NOBODY HURTS MY GIRL!" Hades yelled.
The Lord of the Dead's fires had gone from angry orange to white hot fury at the sight of Maleficent being injured. Fire did not hurt Mephisto under most circumstances, but the incredible energy of a god was certainly powerful enough to make the demon fear for himself. Hades was relentless in hurling white fire at Mephisto. He was fast and furious, and Mephisto barely had the chance to cast counter protection spells. Hades ran towards Mephisto and clawed the demon across the face with white fire before clawing him across the stomach. Mephisto screamed in pain as he staggered backwards. Hades grabbed Mephisto by the throat before the demon king could escape.
"GET. OUT!" Hades screamed as he threw Mephisto into the air.
White fires engulfed Mephisto and propelled him into the atmosphere as if he were a comet soaring out into the Etherium. With Mephisto gone, Hades panted with exhaustion as his fires began to die back down to their bluish tint. Hades turned back to see that Maleficent had retrieved her staff, removed the arrow, and had already begun casting a healing spell on her shoulder.
"You okay, Mal?" Hades asked tenderly as he knelt beside her.
"I will be fine," Maleficent answered. "Do not think me to be some weak princess in need of protection."
"Never would, babe," Hades said. "I know you can more than handle those bozos, so when you get hurt, that's how I know the time for pullin' punches is finito."
His answer seemed to satisfy her. "Then I must admit you were quite impressive. Your rage continues to prove to be one of your most attractive assets."
"Hey, I try, y'know, I get mad all the time," Hades said with a laugh.
The two rose to their feet as their allies flocked to their side. The Cauldron Born had retreated along with their masters.
"Be on your guard," Maleficent warned. "Cronus's allies are not ones to surrender so easily."
"That was easily?" Pete asked.
"C'mon," Hades said. "The Fist of Ability is within our grasp, so let's not get butterfingers this close to the end zone, capiche?"
The seven Overtakers made their way deep into the bowels of Isla de Muerte until they arrived at a catacomb chamber with a geyser of water perpetually erupting in the center. At the top of the geyser, an altar much like the one in Remnant floated inside of a large bubble.
"Water magic? Leave it to me!" Ursula declared.
A flash of purple shot from Ursula's hands into the geyser. However, nothing seemed to happen.
"What?" Ursula asked in shock.
"Don't feel bad, babe, this was meant to take Poseidon's power to undo," Hades remarked.
"The Fist of Might should prove equal to the task," Maleficent declared.
She raised her staff and mentally ordered the geyser to disperse and release the altar. The Fist of Might flashed with magic, and the waters obeyed. The altar was set down gently in the center of the room. The seven Overtakers immediately circled around it.
"Will it require a sacrifice?" Hook asked cautiously.
"If so, I vote Pete," Winnie said, earning her an angry glare from him.
"Be silent, hag," Jafar ordered. "A sacrifice was required at the altar meant for Hades, the Lord of the Dead. This altar will have altogether different circumstances to release the gem."
"Jaffy's right," Hades said. "According to this inscription, this altar actually requires the opposite. The Fist of Ability will only make itself known at the moment a soul lost to the sea returns to the land of the living."
"The moment of a green flash," Ursula offered.
"A resurrection should not prove to be too difficult," Maleficent stated. "Who do we know that has been lost to the sea? Ursula?"
"Can't help, I'm afraid," Ursula said. "Merpeople don't have immortal souls. They become sea foam when they die. Nobody I know would qualify for a resurrection."
"Hook?" Maleficent asked.
"I'm afraid I cannot help, m'lady," Hook answered. "When I was resurrected as a revenant, I lost all memories of the crew members I lost at sea, and though my memories of Milah and my brother are foggy, I know quite well that their deaths were unrelated the ocean."
"Pete?" Maleficent questioned.
"Sorry, but I got nothin'," Pete said. "Last time I was here, the only fella who kicked the bucket was Barbossa, and Calypso said he's alive and well again."
"I can't work off of vague generalities," Hades said. "I can resurrect whoever I want, but I gotta know specifics. Even if I don't have a name, I gotta have a vague idea of who they were or some item that belonged to them."
"Wait a spell!" Ursula chimed in. "Did you say an item that belonged to them?"
"Yeah, why?" Hades asked.
"Because I think Calypso gave us exactly what we needed," Ursula said with a laugh.
"Of course! The locket!" Maleficent said as she produced the crab shaped locket from the folds of her robes.
Maleficent handed it over to Hades. When she did, the locket opened and began to play a somber yet beautiful tune.
"Alright, one resurrection for the former owner of this locket comin' right up," Hades said.
Hades snapped his fingers, and a brilliant green flash appeared in the room as a man returned to the land of the living. However, the newly resurrected man was only a secondary concern, for once the green flash had gone off, the Fist of Ability gem materialized atop the altar. Maleficent snatched up the gem and ran her fingers over it.
"The second gem of Cronus is ours!" Maleficent declared.
Hades, Ursula, and Jafar huddled around her to get a good look at it.
"All the power of the cosmos!" Jafar said, his mouth practically watering.
"Oh, it matches my earrings; ya shouldn't have!" Ursula joked.
"Things are really startin' to heat up! HA!" Hades remarked. "Set your sun-dials, folks, 'cuz pretty soon, everything's gonna be BLACK!"
"Excuse me, shouldn't we do something about this crumpled man on the floor?" Winnie asked.
"I got 'em," Pete said as he bent down to help the man up.
He was an old pirate with a long grey and scraggly beard. He was dressed in tattered clothes adorned with barnacles and a variety of sea fauna, and in place of his right leg was a wooden peg-leg.
"Thank you, thank you," the pirate said with a thick Scottish accent.
Hook's blood ran cold when he heard that voice. Memories long since buried started to bubble to the surface.
"What's your name, sailor?" Hook asked.
"Davy Jones," he answered as he looked Hook in the eye.
Those striking blue eyes that echoed the sea were unmistakable. Hook felt a lump in his throat as he confirmed what he'd already suspected. Hook hadn't seen those eyes since he was a boy, but he'd never forget them. They were the same ones he saw in the mirror every morning.
"Hello father."