Notes:
   Continuation of the previous. As rivalries pop up among the villains, Ulrica's plans fall behind schedule. Malvina, her faith renewed, finally puts her plans into action and some of the villains decide to turn their backs on a life of villainy.
Warnings: part 2 of the musical
  
    As Hans paid the price of his deal with Malvina, James Hook, Killian Jones, and the Tremaine sisters, Grimhilde watched from her mirror. Having left from Audrey's room a few minutes ago, she found herself now bored, returning to her previous hobby of spying on people in the mirror.
    Suddenly, a pair of footsteps sounded behind her and two very similarly dressed men entered the room: the two different versions of Jafar, one with Iago perched on his shoulder, the other without an animal companion and more serious expression.
    "Forgive the intrusion, your majesty." The younger one (the one with Iago) said.
    "We thought you would've been with the other villains, wishing good luck to our friends on each of their secret missions."
    "Or, at the very least," the younger Jafar continued, "ensuring that the Mistress of Evil heeds your command while away."
    Grimhilde waved them away. "I've said all I need to say."
    "Yes. Your conversation in the hallway." Older Jafar chuckled in rare amusement.
    "Not to mention your conversation with the other mothers on the spoiled Snow White. And the change in yourself as a result."
    At Grimhilde's confused look, both men answered, "Voices do carry."
    "I always hated fairies, genies, and witches, especially Saviors." Older Jafar gritted his teeth in annoyance.
    "If I may be so bold as to say," younger Jafar continued, "they have no respect and use others for their own agenda."
    "And what is your agenda?" Grimhilde asked. She'd been growing more suspicious of the villains around her by the day. Everyone seemed to have a hidden agenda, something they were hiding, and she did not wish to have any obstacles in the way of her happy ending.
    Both Jafars chuckled. "My reasons are my own." the elder of the two remarked as the younger answered, "Why, to serve the crown, of course."
    "Do you take me for a fool?" Grimhilde asked as she turned towards the pair. "You were once the most powerful man in Agrabah or rather second most powerful." She gestured towards the younger one. "A position you no doubt became accustomed to. And who could blame you? A ragged urchin begging for scraps to the right hand of the sultan is not a climb many can make. Now you wish to procure a position for yourself here in my council. Your obvious motives and cheap flattery will only hasten your way to your untimely demise. Now get out."
    "I wouldn't be so sure." Older Jafar remarked. Grimhilde narrowed her eyes. "My power is far superior to yours, your highness. I am on par with the gods and once I have what I want, I can unravel the fabric of time and reality. Whether or not you are there to see it is up to you."
    With that, Jafar turned on his heel and walked off. "I'd join your namesake if I were you." The Queen said, turning away.
    "As you wish, your majesty." He bowed. "However, do you think it wise entrusting information as delicate as what Ulrica is entrusting us with to a group of villains who have already betrayed us?" She turned in surprise. "Hypnotism is a skill I am well versed in. I put a little spell on those controlling the Wicked Nine so they could not divulge why they are needed. Of the nine, only you and I know what is needed to return the villain, Vor."
    "Hmm...my limited faith in you has been temporarily restored."
   "Thank you. Your majesty is too generous with her words." Jafar bowed and left the room.
   Neither villain was aware that someone had heard their entire conversation.
                             * * * * *
   Meanwhile, after the older Jafar left Grimhilde, he found himself face to face with  Dr. Facilier.
   "My oh my!" Dr. Facilier said. "What a fuss you've made with the queen!" He laughed. "Thin walls."
   "I am a powerful sorcerer, the son of the Sultan himself. I beat the Savior. You're just a second rate magician who couldn't beat a pair of little bitty frogs."
   The doctor's nostrils flared. "I am more powerful than you'd think. I have friends on the other side. And you should take care. Just ask the last person that underestimated me what happened."
   "Oh please!" Jafar rolled his eyes.
   He watched as Dr. Facilier's face turned bright red and he began dancing around Jafar in the same way he did Naveen and Lawrence.
    Jafar only laughed.
https://youtu.be/E8e-3yfE_H8?si=UfxyPR6Dy3FLGmDd
   "I must admit, your parlor tricks are amusing
   I bet you've got a bunny under your hat
   Now here's your chance to get the best of me
   Hope your hand is hot
   Come on, clown, let's see what you've got
   You can try and slam me with your hardest stuff
   But your double whammy isn't up to snuff
   I'll set the record straight
   You're simply out of date
   You're only second rate
   You think your cat's a meanie but your tiger's tame
   You've got a lot to learn about the magic game
   So for your education I'll reiterate
   You're only second rate
   Men cower at the power in my pinky
   My thumb is number one on every list
   But if you're not convinced that I'm invincible
   Put me to the test
   I'd love to lay this rivalry to rest
   Go ahead and zap me with the big surprise
   Snap me in a trap, cut me down to size
   I'll make a great escape
   It's just a piece of cake
   You're only second rate
   You know your hocus-pocus isn't tough enough
   And your mumbo-jumbo doesn't measure up
   Let me pontificate upon your sorry state
  You're only second rate
  You're only second rate!"
   They growled at each other in annoyance.
   As they argued, they were joined by others arguing with their rivals. Malvina fought Giselle, Jafar fought Dr. Facilier, Malvina (Maleficent's mother) fought Ursula and Grimhilde, Ursula also fighting Grimhilde, Evil Queens fighting each other and the Gothels, Barbie villains fighting Disney villains, Ravenna fighting Freya, Freya fighting Jadis, the Tremaine sisters fighting each other, Hades fighting Dr. Facilier and Jafar, Jafar fighting Anastasia, Frieda fighting Lady Vain, and many more along with Regina and Zelena fake fighting, and Cedric and Cordelia fake fighting.

    Malvina danced across the room. "Please don't fear that you are upsetting me. Dear, I barely know you're there."
   "Sorry. Were you speaking? You're hard to see. Like a smell that lingers in the air." Giselle bit back.
    Malvina laughed. "Trying to be clever? That makes no sense. That's a role you haven't earned."
    "You don't see your own insignificance." Ravenna and Freya fought. "Well it's time you learned."
    "You may think you're bad but, darling, I am badder." Ursula and Grimhilde argued. "Really, sweetie, where's the thrill in,"
    "Being just a has-been." Malvina told her sister, Grimhilde.
    Grimhilde bit back, "A wannabe villain."
    "You're a garter snake and I'm a big puff adder." Jafar snarled at Dr. Facilier.
    "Face it. I am so much badder than you." Dr. Facilier told Ursula.
    Mother Gothel and Rapunzel Tremaine glared at each other as they went their separate ways. "Surely you can see it's ridiculous, two villains in one fairytale."
   "This town is too small for the both of us." Killian Jones and James Hook said. "So off into the sunset you should sail."
    "I can send my minions to help you pack."  Hades pushed Pain and Panic to the side as he sent Malvina a dangerous look for the break up of his romance with her daughter, Maleficent.
    Malvina grinned. "I'll be careful not to crow."
    "Darling, I will miss you. Alas, alack. But you have got to go." The Tremaine sisters argued with one another.
    Grimhilde and Gothel danced around each other. "You can claim you're bad but I'm a better badder."
    "Nothing you've got up your sleeve will ever equal me as the Mistress of Evil." Malvina gloated as she teased Ursula.
    Ursula jumped into the ocean, flipping off Malvina. "I'm the heart and brains and you, you're just the bladder. How can you believe you're badder than I?"
    "Nobody ever would bother to tell a tale with Maleficent." Malvina and Primrose said, the former spinning her daughter in a circle.
    "And with Cruella." Cruella and Estella broke out in a dance, the former dipping her daughter down.
    Regina and Zelena, pretending to fight, started dancing in opposite directions. "My cheekbones are sharper." Zelena said.
    Regina retorted, "My hair's much more high." She played with her ponytail.
    Anastasia spun in a circle. "So jump down a rabbit hole."
    "Go climb a beanstalk." Roderick said as he left the room.
    The Barbie villains appeared in the room. "It's not au revoir but goodbye." They told the Disney villains.
    Jafar and Anastasia threatened each other. "Someone really should put a stop on her." Jafar said, hypnotizing the minions.
    Anastasia called her court. "Someone really should put a stop on him."
    "Up to me to find a way." The minions answered. "Up to me to find a way."
    "Maybe there's a house I could drop on her?" Zelena said with a smile.
    Regina held up her trademark apple. "Hmm...is a poisoned apple too cliché?"
    "Drag her to a rooftop and drop her down."
    "A spell to make her disappear."
    "And when she is gone, I will own the town and everyone will cheer." They said in unison.
    "She was sorta bad but you are so much badder." Their minions agreed.
    Frieda and Lady Vain flipped through their books. "Clearly that is why I have to see that she lives happily never after."
    "Once I sit alone stop the villain ladder." Cedric said, shooting his sister the look he wished he always could.
    Malvina and Giselle were at it again. "Everyone in Monroelasia will totally be in my thrall."
    "They will say 'oh queen, we praise ya'." All evil queens sang together.
    Hades, Dr. Facilier, and Jafar argued together. "Because I will be not just badder. Because I will be not just badder."
    "But the nasty." Jafar confessed.
    "Everlasty." Hades added.
    "Flabbergasty." Dr. Facilier concluded.
    All villains finished. "Very very baddest of them all!"
   The villains then took their leave of one another as Ulrica growled at them in anger. All these rivalries among her subordinates wasn't working! And, worse still, she was running out of time!
                             * * * * *
    No one could ever call Malvina a predictable woman. Vindictive, perhaps. Wrathful, sure. Mysterious and beautiful, absolutely. Her true intentions were something she always kept close to the vest. And, right now, her true intentions were something no one could ever know.
    However, getting help in her personal mission would require a bit of finesse, cunning, and skill. Luckily, these were things she was well versed in. Getting the information from Ulrica had been easy enough.
    Now she knew that she must reach into the Veil Between Worlds. But that left her with another problem: locating the Veil and preparing for any unpleasant surprises when she got there.
    Through her trickery, she learned that Karayan knew the way. However, he wouldn't be able to do the task himself because of a previous deal, lest he be pulled into the Veil forever. Yet, he wasn't the only one with this power, thankfully.
    King Karayan was a powerful sorcerer also known as the Shadow King. Throughout his time ruling over the Realm of Darkness, he had gained many prodigies who each had some semblance of his power, these being Pan's shadow, Oogie Boogie, Pitch Black, the Horned King, Dr. Facilier, Fiona, Chernabog, Malvina herself, Grimhilde, Madam Mim, Jafar, the Dark One, Evanora, Theodora, Zelena, Regina, many more evil queens, Malvina's eldest daughter, Maleficent, King Magnifico, and Ursula, to name a few. Each of them had come to him following their subsequent defeats and sometimes deaths at the hands of the heroes.
    The downside of having only part of Karayan's power was that a job he could do on his own required a group of his subordinates. On one hand, some spells needed only three but this deed required the power of five. Unfortunately, her prospects weren't the best.
   She didn't trust her mother, brother, or sister and definitely not Ursula or Dr. Facilier.  She could cross the Horned King off that list as he was mated to her sister.
    Her daughter, Maleficent, was her best prospect as she would be more than willing to help with the task ahead. Regina and Zelena were interesting prospects, as were Evanora and Theodora, but they would need to be persuaded. As she pondered this, she decided Regina and Zelena were better for this job as they would be more open to helping her.
    Malvina wasn't an idiot.
    When her daughter, Primrose, had joined their ranks, she had quickly found her to be a spy. And, considering Regina was the one who brought Primrose here, playing her up as Maleficent of all things, Malvina knew her daughter was doing the same. On top of that, the rivalry between Regina and Zelena seemed...forced. Almost as if the pair were pretending, probably to slow down Ulrica's plans until they could find a way to stop them.
    This gave her hope that they would help her as both former villains seemed very sympathetic. That left one more person needed to complete her plans. She smiled as she knew just the person for the job.
                              * * * * *
    Malvina left Ulrica's palace and headed to her own in the Forbidden Fortress. Unlocking the door, she stepped into her dungeon. As she glanced around, she smiled, remembering a time when Stefan had been trapped in here to prevent him from awakening Andromeda. Then the smile faded as she remembered the hurt look on Andromeda's face as she cursed her.
    "Good evening." She said as she forced a smile on her face. She heard a quiet "hmph" from somewhere. "Come now. This is no way to treat a friend that's come to pay you a visit."
    "You ain't no friend of mine!"
    "Oh, you're hurting my feelings. I was so hoping you'd help me with a problem." Malvina said, sneakily.
    "Your problems ain't got nothing to do with me so why don't ya Oogie on back to wherever you came from!"
    "On the contrary, dear," Malvina soothed, "this problem will reset the entire board and change the outcome of the war...if done properly." She smiled as she realized her prisoner was listening. "In return, all this," she gestured with her arms, "will go away. You will be free. And I will have accomplished my goal. But to do so would require you betraying your master, the Shadow King, by using your dark powers at my behest. In doing so will also be betraying Ulrica and the Wolf Father."
    The voice hmphed again. "You're the one who locked me away like some prisoner. While I barely get any time out of this dreadful cell, and yet you ask me to betray my masters and my mission! All so you can take my dice! I ain't giving you nothing!"
    Malvina would admit that Oogie Boogie, while a certainly odd and eccentric villain, was very clever to understand what she was getting at. But she was a clever woman herself and knew the undead were's biggest weakness. "And here I was ready to bestow a gift in return of your cooperation."
    She knocked her staff against the ground and the figure of Santa Claus, bound and gagged, appeared before her. Oogie peeked his head out in interest now. "Sandy!"
    "No matter." Malvina waved him away. "We'd best be on our way."
    "Hold on, sister! You got yourself a deal!" Oogie said. He tossed Malvina his dice and she smiled in malice. This, she knew, was his way of giving her power over him. "I'll leave you two to...catch up. I'll be back soon to collect you."
     Oogie Boogie moved further into the room and music began to play.

   I spent so many nights lying in pieces on the floor
   I was an empty bag with no one left to boogie anymore
   I never thought I'd have the chance to get a second shot
   But it's you and me, old Sandy boy
   And I'm gonna give it all I got
   I just can't wait for you to see the things I'm gonna do
   But I guess that all depends
   On how much time is left for you
   His subordinates, Lock, Shock, and Barrel were quick to add:
   Twas the night before Christmas
   And just out of sight
   A creature was stirring
   To give you a fright
   The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
   In hope that the Boogie Man soon would be there
   With their laughter, he continued:
   Look who's got the Boogie and who's back in town
   Look who's back on top and guess who's going down
   Nowhere to run
   No place to hide
   So say goodbye
   'Cause Oogie's got his boogie back this time around
   (He's got his boogie back)
   Who's the one gonna make you scream
   (Oogie, boogie)
   And who's the king of Halloween
   (Oogie, boogie)
   'Cause this year Santa's glowing green
   Comin' straight for Christmas Town
   Yes, 'cause I got my boogie back
   This time around
   Santa finally got loose from his gag. With a grimace, he retorted:
   Now this has all gone far enough
   We've done this all before
   So release me now and leave me out
   Of what you have in store
   Oogie laughed, jumping back into his dance.
   Ooh, leave you out, you got it, chubs
   I hear you loud and clear
   'Cause Christmas needs a little spice
   And so I volunteer
   We'll deck the halls with creepy crawls
   So just sit back and watch
   Cause Mr. Oogie Boogie's gonna kick it up a notch
   Then Oogie's kids sang:
   The children were frightened and scared in their beds
   As visions of Boogie Men danced in their heads
   Then what to my wondering eyes should appear
   A shadow that woke them with terror and fear
   Oogie bounced around:
   Look who's got the Boogie and who's back in town
   Look who's back on top and guess who's going down
   Nowhere to run
   No place to hide
   So say goodbye
   'Cause Oogie's got his boogie back this time around
    (He's got his boogie back)
    Who's the one gonna make you scream
    (Oogie, boogie)
    And who's the king of Halloween
    (Oogie, boogie)
   'Cause this year Santa's glowing green
   Comin' straight for Christmas Town
   Yes, 'cause I got my boogie back
   This time around
   He's scared
   He's sick
   He's horrified
   Come on, Sandy, look alive
   'Cause this will be a holiday that you may not survive
   (He's finished, he's cooked, bye bye
    He's done, whee!)
   You had a solid run
   There's a new Sandy Claws here in town
   And I've only just begun
   Now look who's got the Boogie and who's back in town
   Look who's back on top and guess who's going down
   (Nowhere to run
   No place to hide
   So say goodbye)
   'Cause Oogie's got his boogie back this time around
   (He's got his boogie back)
   (And I heard him exclaim as he crept through the night
   Scary Christmas to all a good fright)
   Yes, 'cause I got my boogie back
   This time around
   The group all laughed as he finished his song. With that, the torture began...
                               * * * * *
   Ulrica paced and growled in front of her master and former lover's coffin. "It's hopeless, my love! The whole lot of them are hopeless!"
   She listened to the sounds of him whispering from within. "We are running out of time, master! I need the Wicked Nine to return Vor. And I think we need more this time."
    More whispers. "Ah! Indeed! She spawned many villains, more than just the original nine. Perhaps a trinket from each would serve us well." A grunt of acknowledgement from the coffin. "But that leads to the current problem! If I cannot bring them together to make a deal with Ursula for her amulet, it is all in vain! I need that amulet to bring back Vor and Vor to return you to the world of the living."
   The voice grew louder, more insistent. "Yes, master. It will be done."
    Ulrica shook her head as she left the room. Outside, Shan Yu waited for her like a trained dog. "Perhaps an old reliable option is best to get them in line." She thought out loud, staring at her slave. "Yes perhaps..."
                               * * * * *
    As the fighting ebbed, the villains found themselves deep in thought, thinking of why they were doing this. Some stood, some sat, and some paced. Many shared their stories, the reasons why they did as they did. As so many stories arose, certain villains began to wonder if maybe the game was rigged against them.
    Together, all the villains thought aloud:

    For years I have waited and watched from the sides
   While others were given their dues
   Overlooked and forgotten
   My words cast aside
   I did what I needed to do
   As a child I learned that the world can be cruel
   A game to which there are no rules
   Thieves are forgiven and justice is blind
   But this time the justice is mine
   The past is a story
   It tells us all who we are
   It robs us of glory
   And leaves us with nothing but scars
   All I ever wanted
   Was a life that was rightfully mine
   To never play second in line
   Time to thrive not just survive
   All I ever needed
   Was a moment to even the odds
   With power to rebel the gods
   The stars aligned to my design
   It's all I ever wanted
   All of my life I have tried to be heard
   But men only hear what they fear
   Fate wasn't given, it's something I took
   Now they have fear of the hook
   There was always a standard to which I was held
   A fairness to which I was sworn
   But life took a turn and the hard way I learned
  Every rose has its thorn
  Casted to the outside
  Watching as others delight
   A thirst on the inside
   For darkness to conquer the light
   All I ever wanted
   Was my time living life in the sun
   When those fools all regret what they've done to me
   They'll see that I'm not through
   All I ever needed
   Was a moment to conquer my fate
   To never be second to great
   A world that's prime and mine to take
   It's all I ever wanted
   Days turn to hours and hours to years
   Hope becomes twisted and rooted in fear
   Balance and order are cast to the side
   Vengeance for justice that I've been denied
   All I ever wanted
   Was a chance to even the score
   Why settle for less when there's more?
   To conquer all that came before
   All I ever needed
   Was a slip in the balance of time
   To regain what's rightfully mine
   To change the end and start again
   It's all I ever wanted
   As the villains started to filter out for the day, some remained behind to sort out their thoughts. Some were starting to get the feeling that they didn't want to be villains anymore.
    Dr. Facilier appeared behind Gothel. "Well, ma Cherie, it's been awhile."
    "Yes it has." Gothel said, turning to her former husband and mate. "Can you ever forgive me for being such a fool?"
    He smiled, showing off the gap in his teeth. "I could never stay mad at you. You've always been the one for me."
   That said, they fell into each other's arms.
                              * * * * *
   Meanwhile, other villains were realizing what they really wanted.
   Per a conversation with the Dark One, Arthur (the original whom had become a villain after his birthright was denied) had learned that his original Merlin was still alive and wondered if meeting with him, confronting him on what he had told him, would change the outcome.
   He didn't want to be a villain, not really, and this was something he had passed on to different people including the Dark One, Eviana, and the two different versions of Hook.
   Rumplestiltskin had already decided to make peace with Mordred and accept Belle's decision to move on. Killian just wanted to make peace with his past and make up for what he had done. The other Hook was not so understanding, claiming nothing but vengeance would help him. As for Eviana, she remembered a dream she had as a child: she wanted to open a spa and make other women feel like they could be the fairest of them all.
   After arguments brought upon by the Tremaine's sisters own rivalry with one another, Dame Olga collected her daughters and some of the other stepsisters joined: Drizella (Lady Marie's daughter who was in love with a baker in the village of their old home), Clorinda (Edna's daughter who was in love with the king's footman), Jacqueline (Rodmilla's daughter who was in love with the king's messenger), and Doris and Mabel (Lorelei's daughters whom had moved on from their initial hatred and were now friends with Fiona and the gang).
    Malvina and Giselle found they, too, had grown weary of their rivalry with each other.  After a talk with Arthur, Rumple, and the stepsisters, Charming and Rapunzel had thought a moment. Rapunzel missed her friendship with Fiona and the other princesses and her pleas reached her loved one's ears. ("Well, of course, kitten whiskers. Whatever you want, you get.")
    Cora thought of her daughters again. Regina and Zelena were spies and she knew this. She didn't want to risk outting them as spies. Then there was Mariana, Isadora, and Anastasia to think of. Perhaps...perhaps it was time for her to change, to become a better person.
    Odile found herself in tears as she learned the truth, also from Rumplestiltskin: Rothbart was not her father. She had, in fact, been deceived. Her family was instead that of Odette, Odessa, and Elisa. All these years she'd been lied to! Add onto that, she was finding love with a man who was kind to her. All this made her just want her happy ending.
    Helga remembered Rourke's betrayal and vowed she'd leave him as he had left her. Long John couldn't help but remember that boy that he had helped raise, the same boy that had allowed him to get away before the authorities reached him. Barbosa thought of the daughter he had finally found again. Jareth and Hades, kings that they were, thought of their wonderful mates and realized they no longer wanted to be villains.
    Even Gretel, Tai Lung, and Bo Peep the Warlord were given pause at the thought of their lives and the people they loved. Was redemption possible? Could they change for the better this time?
   Cedric and Rumple stood at the head of the group thinking:

   "When I was growing up and they all made fun of me,"
   "I vowed that I would show them just how evil I could be." Rumple and Regina continued.
   All the rulers or those meant to become rulers--Princess Ivy, Queen Regina, Malvina, Primrose, Malvina and Giselle, Eviana, Charming and Rapunzel, Arthur and Guinevere, Mariana, Anastasia, Hades, Jareth, and even Ursula--added, "But now the day has come and the kingdom can be mine."
   "So why am I so gloomy when I should be feeling fine?" Dr. Facilier asked himself as he stared at Gothel.
    Gothel stared into his eyes, deep in thought. "My evil dreams were my friends when I was all alone."
    "My evil schemes made me feel like I had a home." Tai Lung added, kicking his chair in frustration.
    "But now it seems that I've changed. I don't know what to do." They all sung together. "My evil dreams could come true but I'm not sure I want them to."
   The doubters of the group--Bo Peep, Gretel, and Cora--began to second guess themselves again. "The princess may be nice to you." They gestured to Cedric, Ivy, Miss Nettle, Prisma, Rumplestiltskin, Ursula, Killian, Eviana, Odile, Charming with his Rapunzel, Arthur with his Guinevere, Barbosa, and the stepsisters. "But what about the rest? All those who point and laugh at you must see that you're the best."
    The music swelled as the villains wrestled with their thoughts. I've always had so much to prove. I cannot hesitate." They all sung together.
    Cedric sighed as he added, "It's time for me to make my move and be Cedric the Great!"
    ("Great!" The voices of the others echoed.)
    The villains came together as those that doubted and the few truly evil villains called out: "My evil dreams are my friends when I am alone. My evil schemes make me feel like I have a home. My evil dream, nothing's changed. I know just what to do. My evil dreams can come true now that I'm sure I want them too. And then, at last, yes, at last, my evil dreams will finally come true!"
    But, even as that proclamation was made, those that had doubted whether or not being a villain was worth it finally made their decision. So, gathering together, they made their stand. And, with that, the Resistance was born.