Ten weeks? More like an eternity! Once Upon a Time‘s spring return may be far off in the future, but the creators have some teasers for you!

Once Upon a Time season 4 is only half way over! While that may be of some comfort to fans, others are counting down the days until March 1. Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz offer some insights to those lingering questions from the midseason finale. Let’s take a look back at some moments from the winter finale that we are looking forward to learning more about when the show returns in 2015!

The Queens of Darkness

There is an air of mystery surrounding the unlikely friendship of Cruella, Ursula, and Maleficent. But can we really put it past the creators to toss these villains together? After all, Captain Hook and Snow White hang out on the regular in Storybrooke with Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandmother. You will not have to wait long to find out how the ladies came together. Kitsis says the answer will come in the premiere episode.

But how do you get Cruella from the streets of London to the Enchanted Forest? Horowitz says, “The traditional Cruella from the classic animated movie has been a jumping off point for our own rendition. If viewers watch what we have in store, you’ll see that while honoring some of the history behind the character, we’re putting a twist on Cruella’s background that involves the Enchanted Forest and a dollop of magic.” That magic he is referring to, comes from that coat she drapes on across her back. More on that when the show returns!

‘Frozen’ thaws, but the door is open for more characters

Not much time was paid to the departure of the characters viewers spent a majority of the season getting to know. But whether you were happy to see the portal to Arendelle appear or not, the final moments of the finale let everyone know that Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff made it back and reclaimed their kingdom from Hans and his brothers. With one last direct reference to the feature film, the girls of Arendelle stepped away to send Anna down the aisle, and finally, get her hitched to Kristoff.

The return of Ursula to Once Upon a Time poses one giant question for the next arc; Will Ariel return? To that Kitsis says, “Yeah, we can for the first time tell you that Ariel is coming back (JoAnna Garcia Swisher). You will see her within the first half of 4B. There may be some other returns that we’re not ready to confirm yet, from our past years.” Who else could be be referring to? Leave us your best guesses!

The house on the lake

Henry’s interruption of Emma and Regina’s “girls night” lead to a huge breakthrough for Operation Mongoose. The house, which Rumpel claims belongs to Sorcerer, is home to a room full of blank storybooks they believe belong to the author. But let’s debunk some theories that are floating around about this mystery man!

Yen Sid will not make an appearance on Once Upon a Time. The Sorcerer from Disney’s Fantasia was a great launching point for creating this story, but that is the only connection. The second half of the mystery man is whether or not he ghost writes fairy tales in his spare time. Horowitz says, “There are some assumptions that characters are making, and that stuff will be cleared up very quickly in 4B. But yes, everyone is assuming that that’s the Sorcerer’s mansion. And some are wondering if he is or isn’t the Author…”

The mystery remains! Who is the Sorcerer? Who is the author?

Apart from that enigma, Operation Mongoose’s race against the Queens of Darkness will be an exploration of character. Kitsis sums up the second arc saying, “I think it’s going to really bring into question what makes a hero and what makes a villain. Does the victor get to write history, or is there good and evil in all of us? One thing we’re excited about is that although we’re bringing in the Queens of Darkness, the second half is really about our core characters. We’re going to get a lot more Snow, Charming, Rumple, a lot more Evil Queen and Emma. We’re going to see how all of this affects the people that we’ve come to know and love over the last four years.”

A land without magic

Regardless of his identity, Rumpel has a plan in mind to find a man by the name of “The Author.” After Belle’s amazing character growth in the final moments the winter finale, Rumpel is left powerless and cast out of Storybrooke with his dagger still a very real threat. Getting rid of Rumpel was a relief for some fans, but the Dark One does not go down without a fight. As he mentioned to Regina in the car prior to his departure, he may not change, but he does evolve. As Regina explains to Rumpel, taking a happy ending is not an option that works for her and it certainly does not seem to be working for him.

Rumpel seems to know the Queens of Darkness prior to meeting them on the cliff, but how exactly? And how will they work into his plan to get back to Storybrooke? Expect a few flashbacks to some old, and new, lands to explain! While Rumpel will require the help of the Queens of Darkness, do not expect the tables to turn if Rumpel gets his powers back. Ursula, Maleficent, and Cruella are able to hold their own without the Dark One’s help.

Regina, Marian, and the quest for a happy ending

Being a hero means plenty of sacrifice. Regina certainly felt the pain of sacrifice as she watched Robin cross the border to help Marian recover from some lingering magic. But that cannot be the end of his story, right? With Regina on the hunt for her happy ending, one that includes Robin, do not cry too much over his departure. While we may not know how Robin will come up again, the Horowitz says, “What Regina is or isn’t doing, we aren’t going to say right now, but yes, you have not seen the last of Robin Hood.” Kitsis adds, “We’re just in the middle of the book here.”

The Queens of Darkness will be connected to Charming and Snow, scenes from the forest prior to the first curse, and plenty more Regina and Emma working together. Only 75 days to go!

Once Upon a Time returns March 1, with season 4, episode 13, “The Darkness on the Edge of Town.”