Chapter 2. Plans

It was still dark, but the horizon was slowly starting to shine in bright yellow colors. It was the last shift and this time it was Anna's turn. She was actually quite excited for a new adventure, something that Kuzco, who was guarding them before her, was not happy about. Anna and Kuzco were two different people: the woman was optimistic, energetic, and all around helpful, while the man was obnoxious, lazy, and clumsy. Despite those differences Anna tried to maintain some sort of connection between them, but that appeared not to be given to them. During their short conversation between the shifts, Kuzco's vocabulary was limited to "peasants," "go away," and some grunts.

Anna was very bored of the inaction: she spent too many years locked down in the castle, playing with herself, and trying to get to Elsa, who had shut herself out from the outside world. Now she was picking on a poor bug. She wasn't harming him in any way, maybe except of invading its personal space with her forefinger.

"Should I let them sleep some more or do some wakey-wakey?" the woman asked the bug, but no response came. She sighed. "I suppose I can wait a bit more."

She left the bug alone and approached Elsa. She was sleeping soundly, it was almost unbelievable to see such a sight. Elsa was still not a sound sleeper after the incident from... How long has it been? Thirty years? To be frozen for such a long time was unimaginable. Her older sister was missing for such long time as well.

Thirty minutes or so has passed. Anna was getting really restless and really wanted to get going and punch Hans in the face once again. He never learns, does he? Being the youngest of thirteen children and with no hope for a throne one can become really obsessed with power he doesn't even has. Anna was already ready to kick his guts every time he'd try to take Arendelle for himself, and she'd have Elsa and Kristoff to help her.

Then she heard a yawn and turned to see who it was. Elsa started to wake up. She covered her face with her arm briefly to shield her eyes from the bright morning sun.

"Morning, sis," Anna greeted her with her widest grin.
"I see you're full of energy," Elsa noted.
"As always!"

They turned around at sound of another yawn. Kristoff was stretching. Sure, he possibly slept in worse places but that didn't really help with the pain he had felt while waking up. One would think his good build would make him unaffected to lack of comfort, but that was just a faraway dream.

"Hello!"

Anna hugged Kristoff who looked a bit terrified of the sudden show of affection.

"I appreciate the hug, love you too," Kristoff said.
"You're such a stiff since we got back from Storybrooke," the red-haired woman noted.
"Thank His Highness," Kristoff mumbled.
"I agree, he hardly acts the part," Elsa said. "It's like he doesn't care for his people."
"If he's really an emperor or whatever he is, then why he's so young?" Anna wondered.
"He might be an orphan who inherited the title after his late parents," the white-haired woman theorized.
"But that still doesn't explain why he acts like a spoiled brat," Kristoff said.
"Power changes people," Elsa stated. "Hans is the best example. He doesn't have any real power, yet he acts like he has it and abuses it to absolutely inexcusable amounts."
"Currently Hans has power if you haven't noticed," Kristoff reminded her.
"Currently," the white-haired woman said. "His control over Arendelle is only temporary."

A long yawn suddenly echoes through the walls of the cavern. The black-haired man was slowly waking up, or at least it seemed that way. He twirled a bit in his lair and returned to sleep. Kristoff rolled his eyes in disbelief, while Elsa and Anna giggled over the ridicule of the situation.

"I'm going to wake him," Kristoff scoffed.
"No, you don't," Anna grabbed him by his arm.
"I'm going to do it," the man continued.
"I think we could go with a bit more... drastic measures," Elsa said.

She created a snowball and threw it straight into Kuzco's face.

"Aaagh!" he yelled, while Anna and Elsa were laughing.
"That works too," Kristoff said, a small smile crossing his face for a brief moment.

Kuzco was instantly on his legs, trying to get the remains of the snowball which slipped under his clothes.

"That's so not cool!" Kuzco groaned.
"I think it was cool," Elsa said with a voice full of seriousness. Anna laughed once again.
"What a kid," the man grumbled.
"Says who? A dethroned kid."
"I'm not a kid... big guy," Kuzco said while slowly measuring Kristoff. He certainly didn't want to fight an overgrown man; Kuzco was a shrimp in comparison to him. "I'm a young, charismatic Emperor who is loved by his people."
"Really, comparing you with me, I'm actually more adult than you," Anna stated.
"Aren't you overestimating yourself?" Elsa asked her amused.
"Can we just leave this place? I thought you had other plans than to disrespect me."
"The kid is right, for once," Kristoff said. "'Bout leaving the place," he added after seeing Elsa's questioning look.
"I'm not a kid, you peasant!"
"We should eat first. There's no point in moving out on empty stomach," the white-haired woman stated.
"Then I'll go fetch some berries and water," the blond man sighed and left the cavern.
"I'll help too!" Anna cut in and followed her fiancée.

Kuzco and Elsa remained in the cavern. The woman was studying this man, hoping to learn something about him, but was unsure if starting a conversation would have any meaning. Not even a full day back home, and they were kind of stuck with a pompous youth who was quite adamant to be on his own.

The man was also studying Elsa, or more like 'judging'. Magic was not a normal thing, at least in his Empire. She wasn't exactly warm to him with her introduction; she kind of... cooled him down. But for now he supposed that sticking with her and her companions was a better choice than being alone defenseless. With powers like that, it would be a piece of cake to take back his throne. But with that icy power could this witch want to conquer his kingdom? She was quite intimidating and at the same time very chilled out. It was hard to make anything of her, although her dedication to her people was quite sickening to him.

"So where did you get those powers?" Kuzco asked.
"I thought that after my rather powerful performance you wouldn't dare to talk with me, let alone start a conversation," Elsa replied giving him a small smile. "But it runs in my family if that really interests you."
"Should I expect this sister of yours covering me in snow?"
"It's only me now," she looked down, her face briefly showing sadness.
"That's a relief."
"Your attitude changed a bit. Since we met, you just gave me and my family those snarky remarks every time you opened your mouth."
"That's none of your business."
"Fine." Elsa was starting to get a little irritated by the man. "Could you at least tell me how you became a ruler at such a young age? I presume you're no older than eighteen."
"I don't share my personal stories with anyone. Enemies can use it against me and you certainly act like one," he scowled.
"I just want to help, but if that's what you want I won't press you."

Elsa left the cavern and was strolling across the glade. She was angry and sad at the same time: Kuzco was so cocky and arrogant. How could he not accept help? No matter if you're a queen or an emperor or a simple person one needs someone to rely on. Then maybe she should press him?

Anna forced herself onto her when she thought she would turn against her after her display of powers she was hiding. Her sister's stubbornness got her so far. It helped her with Emma back in Storybrooke as well: just when the blonde was about to give up and part with her powers she helped the savior, no, her friend, to accept that power. She had Anna to thank for her finally embracing herself and her powers. Without her, she would quite possibly break and make even more terrible things.

Few moments later, Anna and Kristoff appeared. The man seemed to be quite content now, possibly the presence of his fiancée was the reason for this. Kristoff approached Elsa and gave her a few berries and some water. Anna, on the other hand, walked to Kuzco and gave him his share: Kristoff was already fumed up quite well with the other man's display of actions.

"So what's our plan?" the black-haired man asked.
"We need to go to the capital city and acquire any information we can regarding Hans and Yzma's business in the Enchanted Forest," Elsa replied. "However, I'm not certain how we should approach this matter." She paused for a moment, considering their options. "I think we should disguise ourselves as commonfolk."
"But won't the people of Arendelle be on our side?" Anna asked. She didn't quite understood the disguise part of the plan.
"Kuzco said it himself yesterday: Hans replaced Arendelle soldiers with his own. They could recognize us if we were walking across the street and could be even killed on sight by them," Elsa answered.
"You have ice powers, why worry about such things like recognition?" Kuzco was once again showing how ignorant his knowledge of a human heart was.
"You dumbskull! We have an element of surprise!" Kristoff reprimanded him. "We can't just reveal ourselves like that! You don't know Hans! He would kill anyone who'd even speak Elsa or Anna or mine's name!"
"Besides, I am quite interested in what is his and Yzma's plan," the white-haired woman noted.
"What if it's another object that can steal your magic, Elsa?" Anna worried. "You'd loose a part of what defines you."
"Don't worry, Anna." Elsa stroke her sister's head. "Even if it were true, I still have you. Together we can do anything. Even put Hans in the only place where he belongs."
"Alright," Kuzco sighed. "But how are we gonna acquire some peasant rags?"
"Clothes," Kristoff reprimanded him. "Just because someone doesn't wear skimpy red dresses doesn't mean it's not clothing."
"It's a high-quality tunic made of llama wool! Not some 'skimpy red dress', you peasant!" the black-haired man exasperated.
"Please show us to the nearest settlement," Elsa requested from Kuzco.
"If memory serves me right, there should be some village that way," he pointed at the direction opposite of sun's current position. "It's a few hours of walk."

With plan in hand, the four departed for the settlement, led by Kuzco. They all hoped that their adventure would be a short one, maybe aside of a certain red-haired woman who was always ready for some action.

Arendelle Castle

"So with this 'artefact' I'll be able to destroy magic?" Hans asked an old woman.
"And more!" she replied. "After all there are still some powerful treasures in his old den."
"Hans, you can't be really serious to work with this witch!" Jurgen voiced his opinion. "We barely know her and she knows more than we do! She could easily betray your, our trust."
"Do you want to end up as a rabbit? I have a proper concoction with me," the woman shot back.

Jurgen just silently growled. Yzma was a mysterious elderly woman who appeared just few days ago after the second 'eternal winter' thawed by unkniwn means. She claimed to know how to destroy magic that threatened Arendelle and other kingdoms. Jurgen and his two other brothers, Hans and Franz, were initially against help from such a person. However, after she showed her potion-making prowess she was deemed a trusty ally by Hans, although his brothers were not so easily swayed by her display. Still, Hans was now the ruler of Arendelle and they could hardly discuss with him. What did she hope to achieve?

"When are you going to leave for Misthaven?" Franz asked.
"Tomorrow morning," Hans replied. "And I'm leaving Arendelle in Jurgen's hands, you're coming with us."

This time Franz growled. He was the eldest of the three and he hoped that he'd stay in Arendelle. He would have the perfect circumstances to plan his next move towards Hans. The youngest brother was bringing more trouble for the Southern Isles and he wanted to resolve them by 'putting Hans in his place,' whatever it would take. But now this opportunity was passed to Jurgen who was worse schemer that Franz, yet Franz would have to put his faith onto his younger brother.

"How many people aside of our three are going on the ship? The vessel won't sail on its own and your objective is quite a secret," Franz inquired.
"There'll be my servant," Yzma said. "Plus a few seasoned sailors, I think like eight or something."
"Twelve people," Franz wondered aloud. "Misthaven is three days away by ship travel, am I correct?"
"Four at most, and that is if a storm won't hit us," Hans commented.
"What about Blackbeard? Just showering him with money might not be enough," Jurgen said. "He might discover you and your little plot and might actually go for that artefact himself."
"Don't you worry, my dear," Yzma interjected. "I have my potions. They'll be rats before they'll be able to draw those knives of theirs."

That concluded their meeting. Franz and Jurgen went to their chamber, Hans went to the throne room, and Yzma decided to continue her work in the castle's dungeons. She wasn't an ordinary woman: she created potions which could reform any living being into another, be it a cat, a llama, or a squirrel. She demonstrated this ability when she first arrived to Arendelle with her 'assistant', terrifying locals. When a few children commented on her purple, wrinkled skin and black revealing attire she poured them with one of her concoctions, a one turning turned a living being into a bug. She then stepped on them, ending their lives. Since then she was considered a 'witch', an 'embodiment of evil'. Even Elsa's ice powers were considered to be 'benevolent' despite the damage it provided.

Now in a dungeon chamber which is turned into a laboratory, she started to create more complex potions. She planned to drain animals of some of their traits and use them in her enhancing concoctions: lion's strength, monkey's agility, dog's smell. Kronk inquired her numerous times about the purpose of her potion-making, much to her annoyance. She simply shrugged it off, saying that 'every ruler needs to have his own special powers'. Kronk, as he was, didn't understand it but was working with her nonetheless. After all, she somehow didn't fired him out, her previous 'assistants' had very short job time with her.

"Kronk!" Yzma yelled at her assistant. "What is this!?"

Yzma was pointing at a small, orange squirrel in a cage. It was very vocal about its current predicament: no-one likes to be sitting in a cage. Kronk was simply giving a confused look.

"But you told me to capture animals with distinctive traits," the bulky man said.
"A squirrel doesn't have any particular strengths!" she continued yelling. "All that squirrels do is giving headache-inducing sounds!"
"That's right, Yzma! You could make your enemy's head ache."
"This won't simply do." She sighed, nearly yelling. "Dump this bug somewhere. I don't want to see it again," she handled Kronk the cage with the ever vocal squirrel.
"Alright."

Kronk was sad. He was trying to help Yzma, but she shot down many of his animal ideas: frogs, birds, snails... Yzma seemed to consider these types of animal weak, but he saw them different.

In the castle's courtyard, Kronk opened the cage and the squirrel jumped on his arm, squealing into his ear.

"I know, I know. You don't like my job, but what am I to do? This is the longest I've had one to be honest." The squirrel squeaked once again and Kronk continued. "But I have nowhere to go. Yzma's the only one who is there for me, even if she is a bit cranky." One more squeal from the squirrel, "My papa... wouldn't be proud of me. He is ashamed to be my papa. I tried to meet his expectations, but it's not me." Then the squirrel grew tired of Kronk's whining and flew away. "Bye-bye, squirrel! See you soon!"

Just as Kronk was to return to Yzma's laboratory in the dungeons, he was stopped by a robed man.

"You were talking with that animal?" he asked with a deep voice.
"He was trying to convince me to leave Yzma," Kronk replied.
"That's some weird ability you have there."
"I've been always like this, although Yzma doesn't appreciate that."
"Each human has different hearts, different values. It just happens that hers doesn't meet yours, that's all."
"How come you're not mocking me? Everyone around me is thinking I'm weird, but you seem not to care about this 'ability' to speak with animals."
"I've seen stranger things. Good day," and the mysterious man left him, Kronk unfazed by the man's disappearance.

Meanwhile, Franz and Jurgen where discussing plans regarding the youngest brother.

"Kill him out in the sea, simple," Jurgen proposed.
"Not so simple," Franz replied with a cold voice. "Hans is allies with this witch and her assistant. Plus, there'll be like eight seasoned sailors and you know how they are: they'll kill me, and then will go for Arendelle."
"We could just buy those sailors' trust."
"Yzma could easily turn me or them into useless animals."
"Then simulate an 'accident' in that Misthaven land."
"No, this must happen here in Arendelle or nowhere," Franz stated. "We'll dispose of Hans here in a way that no-one will suspect us. Then one of us will be asked to rule Arendelle. A swift victory for the Southern Isles," he faintly grinned.
"That could take years," Jurgen grumbled.
"With your lack in a field of scheming I arranged for someone who will help you formulate and execute the plan of discrediting Hans."
"Whom? Fairy Godmother?" Jurgen asked mockingly.
"A person versed in something he calls 'hoodoo'," Franz replied darkly.
"Magic? You could easily dispose him during your journey," Jurgen said angrily and left him.

"I see not everyone is so approving of my arts like you," a deep male voice echoed behind Franz giving him chills.
"I trust your powers and that you'll lead me to Arendelle's throne," Franz replied.
"And I trust that you'll give me what I desire."
"Hans and Yzma are also after the same artefact as you, don't worry."
"Then goodbye, rest well," the man said his farewells and left Franz.

Franz wasn't really sure if the mysterious man would help him achieve his goals, but if Hans and Yzma succeeded with their mission, they both would win. However, the robed man was something more enigmatic than even the purple-skinned woman. The feats he could create appeared to be some form of magic, but at the same time it was different. It was as if otherworldly beasts where helping him. Maybe it had a connection with the skeleton motives on his robes. Franz shrugged it off. Now he had to deal with Hans and Yzma: if they'd discover his and Jurgen's plot, the consequences would be severe. Even the ever mysterious man would side with them if it were to his advantage.

The man looked at the window overlooking the city. The people had enough already and it wasn't even a week since Hans and his brother took over the kingdom. Franz only hoped that nothing tide-turning would appear in the coming days, or it would mean the very downfall of the Southern Isles.

Author's Notes

Elsa and Anna are such fun to write. I like how strong Elsa became during her stay at Storybrooke and I'm gonna show it. Still, those who miss Elsa's "depressed" portrayal (I see that "weak Elsa" is more popular that "strong Elsa" and I surely prefer the way that OUaT wrote Elsa), this will happen for sure but later in the story, possibly somewhere in 2/3 or 3/4 of the story.

Well, I decided to give more, or to be precise, to introduce some motives for villains' actions. I didn't reveal all villains' motives: some are still in the works, for others I know what I want to give them, but spoiling you with all the juicy bits wouldn't possibly make you excited for the story. Also, the robed man is not an OC, but another Disney character, I think I made it quite clear who that person is. I could say the same about the artefact and the place where it can be found.

I hope you enjoyed the little scenes regarding Yzma and Kronk. I tried to make them close to Disney canon.

Also, are there any suggestions for the story? I want to know what people expect to see from a story like mine.