Story 1 Whisker Haven Origins

A Perfect World Begins and Ends

"S-School?" Kuzco asked in confusion, furrowing his brows.

"Y-yes your highness." The Royal Record Keeper said, looking at the scroll in his hands again. "A-according to law the emperor must get their diploma before they can officially start their rule."

Kuzco leaned further back in his throne and gripped the armrests tightly as he exhaled sharply. "I'm assuming I can't change this law right?"

"I-I'm afraid not your majesty." The Royal Record Keeper replied.

Kuzco huffed. "I don't wanna go to school, I wanna be emperor!"

"W-we've got a f-fine school for you to go to, Royal Preparatory Academy."

"Royal whaty what?" Kuzco asked.

"Preparatory Academy. Not only will it qualify you for a diploma, but it will teach you many skills you'll find useful as emperor, such as…"

Kuzco zoned out during his speech about classes, only catching a few things of interest such as "three fairy headmistresses" and "magic lessons."

He sure is babbling a lot about something I'm not even gonna do! I'm the emperor! I shouldn't be forced to go to school! I can handle running this country even if I'm "not educated" enough.

"...At dawn tomorrow we depart for Germany."

That snapped Kuzco out of his daydreaming. "Wait, what?"

"For school, your highness. We need to be off as soon as possible to enroll you in time."

"B-b-but we..we can't go I..I need to uh..pack..yeah! And uh...we...we need someone to watch over the kingdom r-right?"

"I'll have the guards start packing your things at once. As for the kingdom, the head of royal affairs had agreed to take over for you while you're gone."

Kuzco breathed a bit harder. "B-but what about the villagers?"

"They will be informed of your departure."

Kuzco felt a chill. "...Pacha…"

"What was that your highness?'

"I….There's someone I'd rather tell this face to face to rather than have him find out any other way." He slid down the rope from his throne to the ground. "I'm going to the village. I'll be back in a few hours."

"I'll go get your escorts for you."

"No I'll be fine." Kuzco said firmly. You turn into a llama one time and suddenly they assign you escorts everywhere you go!

"But I insist you-"

"No!" Kuzco snapped. The Royal Record Keeper, startled, took a step back. Kuzco frowned and softened his tone. "I-I'm sorry, I meant I'll be fine. They've been keeping an eye on me for a month now; if Yzma was going to try anything again she would have by now. Okay?"

"Yes your highness." The Royal Record Keeper said more calmly.

"I'll be back in a while."

Hiding on top of a column above the throne a small lavender cat and a light purple boa constrictor with dark purple splotches watched as the young emperor-to-be, left through the wide doors.

"This ruins everything Kunak!" The cat hissed. "I,Yzma, cannot be empress if he goes to that fancy royal school!"

Kunak let out a sympathetic hiss, wrapping his tail slightly over her back in comfort. She thought for a moment before snapping two of her front toes. "That's it! Come with me Kunak, to the cave!"

….

Kuzco paused in front of Pacha's house and sighed. He knocked on the door and held his breath. A few moments later Pacha opened the door and a smile spread across his face as he pulled the emperor in for a hug. "Hey Kuzco, it's always good to see you!"

Despite his current mood, Kuzco allowed a small smile as he returned the hug. "It's nice to see you too buddy." However when he pulled away the smile faded and turned into a more uneasy look which Pacha quickly noticed.

"Is everything all right?" He asked worriedly.

"Oh uh...Actually n-no it..it's not." Kuzco sniffled, not even bothering to stop his tears. "I-I can't officially be emperor until I-I get a diploma, and tomorrow they're..they're shipping me off to some royal prep school in Germany!"

"Kuzco…" Pacha put his hand on his shoulder in comfort. "I'm sorry…."

"W-why are you s-sorry? It's n-not your fault this s-stupid law exists and you're n-not sending me to that d-dumb prep school!" He latched onto Pacha and cried.

Pacha stroked his back in comfort. Kuzco pulled back and sniffled."I-I'll miss you.."

"I'll miss you too…" Pacha said gently. They were silent for a moment before Pacha spoke up again, "You want to say goodbye to Chicha and the kids?"

"Oh, y-yeah." Kuzco sniffled. Pacha lead him into the house to say his goodbyes. Tomorrow was going to be terrible.

…..

Yzma and Kunak sneaked into a cave near the edge of the village, heading straight to a cat statue. Two levers stuck out of it's mouth in the shape of sharp,almost fang like teeth.

"Pull the lever Kunak!" Yzma proclaimed, mostly because due to her size she couldn't do it herself. Kunak let out a hiss of understanding as he stretched his tail and curled it around a lever. He pulled it down and the two of them were taken on the log ride to the lab.

Yzma hurried over to a pot of pink liquid which had been brewing for several months. She grinned and let out a small evil laugh as she looked at it. "Perfect! With this I can return to my former beauty and set my plan in motion. It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!"

She took a small sip and yelped, pulling back. "It's still hot."

The two of them sat there awkwardly. "So...How's that bitemark you have?"

Kunak let out idle hisses and flicked his tail idly back and forth, rolling his eyes slightly as he recounted his tale in snake.

"Oh I see." Yzma looked back at the elixir and tested the temperature again. "Perfect!"

She took a long sip from the elixir. Kunak shrunk back in fear as she transformed back into her human self.

"It worked!" Yzma laughed as she started stroking her tail. "Given I had to create it by memory I didn't think-...I have a tail!"

Kunak let out hisses that sounded like laughter.

"Quiet you!" Yzma snapped, trying to hide her tail. "This is only a minor inconvenience. As long as it's out of sight, I'll be fine."

Kunak let out a few more hisses of laughter, trying to silence them with his tail to his mouth. Yzma walked over to a desk and got a scroll ready, then started writing,

Dear Emperor Kuzco,

I am well aware of your graduation requirements to become emperor, and I principal Amzy invite you to enroll in Kuzco Academy. It's a fine school that will not only grant you a diploma, but will also allow you to know the residents of your kingdom better. I hope you consider my offer.

Principal Amzy

Yzma smirked as she rolled the scroll up. "Now we just need to deliver it."