Chapter 01 Bear Family

Quanktumspirit sitting in her room, watching Brave. A dark smirk comes across her lips and she jumps onto fanfiction for this tale.

Quanktumspirit sighing, "Why can't Mor'du and Elinor have a good relationship? They both are bears. Maybe there could be a hidden meaning behind what Brave doesn't want us to see? Well, I'll give them an interesting tale, along with the three cubs. Oh and I'm re-writing it all, and Merida will know of her brothers' transformation earlier than my first go. So she can collect enough herbs to turn all 4 back correctly then the first time, where she might have only collected enough for one bear and not 4."

Oh and I'm going to re-write everything in this tale, and fix all the flaws you've all pointed out. So it can be an enjoyment for you all to read. And, Mor'du will know of the curse himself, because of his past experience with the witch, ok? Even if it seems strange.

Something else I find strange, everyone just saw this as a normal, everyday tale from me... apart from newspatt2200, she/he actually examined my tale and pointed out every single flaw in my tale... at first I felt insulted, its a FICTION, I don't have to be 100% truthful in this tale, but reading over what he/she had to say, I agree with a lot of points, I need to make this story as clarified as possible. I hope part 2 will now stand better there as part 1 did.

As soon as Merida feed her mother the cake, then tucked her into bed, she realised what for a terrible mistake she's done. Her mother rolled over, almost seem to faint in pain, until her body transformed completely. Merida looked over the bed to her and froze in her movements.

"B... B... BEAR!" Merida screamed.

In front of the princess stood a huge, fully grown black bear. The bear blinked, but as Merida saw the cake and then looked at the small golden crown on her head, she realised that this was her mother.

"M... mother?" Merida asked, unsure.

The bear blinked, "g... grrrrr."

The female bear understood she couldn't speak to her daughter any longer, and just nodded her head. Merida cursed and paced around her mothers' room.

"Oh I don't believe it, that cake was only meant to change your mind about the marriage idea, and not turn you into a bear. Thank god no one has seen us yet-" Merida muttered, just then the door opened.

'Oh no,' Merida thought and looked across the room.

Queen Elinor looked over as well, there standing petrified in the door, were her three brothers, and Elinor's three other children.

Before the three could scream, Merida grabbed a bow and arrow, shoot an arrow towards the door and closed it on her three brothers, Elinor jumped towards the three kids and held their mouths closed.

"Please you three, it's not quite as it seems, now she will let your mouths go, but don't scream, please?" Merida begged, looking at her terrified brothers.

The three young kids quivered, but nodded, Elinor let her son's go and Merida sighed, she has a lot of explaining to do. After she explained that the cake was only meant for her mother to change her mind about the marriage and not change into a bear, the kids understood.

"And now I have to get mum out of the castle; before dad or anyone else finds her and tries to kill her. Please, can you three help me?" Merida begged.

Her brothers didn't look at Merida too pleased, they glared at her, crossed their hands and held their hands out, they wanted to be contemplated for their help.

Merida sighed, "Ok, you all can have my desserts for three weeks and the castle's key for a year."

The triplets nodded their heads, quickly they got to work, grabbing a dead frog on a spike and using some light and an empty pot they lured the members of the three clans and their father away from Merida and Elinor. They pretended to be a bear and lured them to the top of the castle.

Merida smirked, her brothers did a brilliant job. Quickly Merida lured her mother out of the other end of the castle and hid her under the bridge for now. Only minutes later her brothers appeared again with a key in their hands and smirking.

Merida blinked, "What did you do?"

The three brothers giggled and pointed at the highest tower, Merida and Elinor looked up and saw that King Fergus and his 'guests' were all locked up there on the tower. Merida rolled her eyes, ok that will keep them busy for a few hours, enough time to get away.

"Very good job you three. I got to get our mother out of here and find out how to turn her back, you three can roam around the castle, and see if you can find something sweet to eat, my treat to you three, ok?"

The three brothers smiled and nodded their heads, Merida quickly grabbed her mother's hand and ran with her back into the forest and towards the wood carvers cottage.

Whiles Merida and her mother were out of the castle, the three brothers gave it some thought. They could eat whatever they wanted? Quickly they looked at each other, nodded and headed into the kitchen. But just as they got there, they saw on the table in the kitchen, a piece of delicious looking cake, with jam on it.

The three brothers smirked at each other, taking the fork they sliced the cake into three pieces before gobbling it up. Yummy. Just as they finished the last pieces, they felt a bit weird. The brothers collapsed next to the table and shook their heads.

Looking at their little hands and feet, the three brothers realised with horror, that they all were now three small black baby bears. Just like Elinor.

Quickly the brothers finished the last crums off (so no one else could be affected by this) raced to the nearest window in the castle, jumped out of it and raced into the forest. They had to find their mother bear and Merida quickly. And work out what the heck was in that cake.

A while later, the three brothers spotted Merida, she was walking around confused in a clearing and wondering where a cottage was, that was just there.

Just then she spotted the cottage a few miles further, the brothers stayed hot on her heels to find out what was going on.

Merida found a pot with some gunk in it and three bottles with potions in them. One was labelled with her name. Merida looked to Elinor and she threw the potion into the pot.

They saw the pot bubbling, and then some black steam rose up and the witches face appeared before them all.

"Hello, red-haired girl. Princess, I forgot to tell you how you are going to turn your mother back, didn't I." The hologram of a witch said as it appeared again. "Well here is the riddle for you to solve: Travel to the land of a thousand leaves. Gather in one leaf plenty of times and brew it to a drink. Your mother will have to drink the second potion next to the first one you threw in if she wishes to remember you until you've returned and it will only have to be taken in once and only once. She won't have to take the potion again and will remember you after you've returned with the potion. If not then she will remain a bear forever and forgets you. My cousin, who lives in India is called Ella Dee, she has the herbs you will need and will be expecting you. I've told her about the accident and she will be waiting for you."

Merida looked a little scared and turned to her mother, "Mama, are you sure this would work?"

Queen Elinor looked towards the pot, the steam and hologram have vanished and it only left an odd odour of herbs behind. Queen Elinor looked at the second bottle, and tilted her head. this should allow her to remember her daughter?

Queen Elinor suddenly has flashbacks to how strong Lord Mor'du is, and how he could destroy an entire army because of his bear strength, there was basically no hint of his humanity that he was human, but 100% bear. If this witch put a hex spell on him the same way she was accidentally hexed, then she had to trust that this potion will allow her to remember her daughter and her humanity.

"Grrrrrrrr." Queen Elinor went and nodded her head, pointing at the bottle.

Merida nodded and tipped a bit into a second bowl, Queen Elinor bent down to the liquid and quickly slurped it up into her body. Praying in her mind it will work.

Just then Merida and Elinor heard a twig break again, from a bush they saw three cub bears running up to them and jumping onto Elinor in her bear form.

Merida's eyes widened, "Oh no, please not Hamish, Harrish and Herbert?"

The tree cubs nestled into Elinor's bear form and brrred, Merida sighed, so she now had to get more of this potion from the foreign land then just her mother. Elinor sighed a bit as well, but kissed her 'cubs' none the less and made them drink the same potion.

"Ok, so I'll need to find out what I need to collect, and make sure to collect enough for all 4 of you." Merida sighed. "Please all 4 of you stay in the forest for now, I'll head back to castle DunBrock and find out what this potion is."

All 4 bears nodded their heads, Merida sighed and figured out she had to work out a way to avoid everyone in the castle, her mother and brothers have to have a cover as to why they weren't around any more and her father has to be distracted for a long time.

Merida entered her father's castle all over again and crept towards the library. Luckily it seems as though her father and his 'visitors' were too busy eating a feast together to celebrate Wee Dingwall's victory in the archery competition that morning. After they got back into the castle.

Merida reached the library and quickly locked herself in it, then browsing over all the books Merida searched for a herbal book. Finding it, Merida carried it towards a table, lit a candle and read inside it. There documented was this herb that she needed, its called tea plant, and was only to be found in India. Thousands of miles away from Dun Brock and Great Britain.

Merida quietly placed the book back after writing a note over what she needed to collect. And then placed the herbal book back. Then from another cupboard she pulled down a map of the world and unrolled it, looking at this map Merida could see this won't be a one day trip, but many, many months worth of travel.

She sighed, placed everything back as it was, turned off the lights and raced to her bedroom. There she packed all her 'maiden' dresses, none of her fancy stuff. Packed in three heavy bags of gold to pay her way through Europe if she had to, packed in some shoes and then crept into the kitchen.

There she packed as much bread, water, fruit and vegetables as she could. She doesn't know if she can get any food from other places, so this was the best she could do.

Her room she placed on a deadlock, so her father won't be worried, and then wrote a 'fake' letter addressed to her father, claiming that Elinor was called away and she took Merida, Harris, Hubert and Hamish with her.

As that was done Merida headed quickly back into the forest to meet up with her mother.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Mor'du looked bored towards the sky, suddenly his eyes widened as he saw by the woodcutters' cottage an explosion of green light shooting upwards. Despite this being an odd occurrence, Mor'du recognised this act. This meant someone else fell for the old witches bear curse. Like he did. But who?

'I'm guessing I got a new bear to find in the forest.' Mor'du thought, smirking.

The big cursed bear stretched and walked through the forest, looking left and right as to whom fell under that witches curse as well. And if they need his help or not.

Mor'du looked towards the sky and smirked to himself, 'I hope they know what they've gotten themselves into with that disaster.'

He knew he has to find this 'curse bear' as fast as possible before any one of the 'normal bears' in the forest knew about this disaster coming back again.

Reaching a few miles from the same wood carvers cottage, Mor'du saw whom he assumes to be under the bear curse too. It was a black bear, with a golden crown on her head, and by her feet, he saw three smaller bears surrounding her.

Wracking his brain, the only person he could identify as a queen was Queen Elinor of the house Dun Brock. And the three baby bears must be the 4-year-old (in human years) Hubert, Hamish and Harris. Now all four were bears, one big female and three small male bears.

Mor'du gave a low growl, making sure the bears would face him once they realise they weren't alone anymore.

"Oh... oh no. Mor'du." Elinor spoke shocked.

The three baby bears nestled closer into their mother, Elinor quickly hid the cubs behind her and glared daggers at the other curse bear, Mor'du examined the four bears, one adult female and three baby male cubs. Seeing as they were a little unsure on their feet he assumes they weren't long under the same witches curse as he was.

He noticed a golden small ring on the older bear bearing the resemblance of the Scottish clan: DunBroch. And the only woman he's heard of marrying King Fergus of DunBroch, was Queen Elinor. Also, he knew the king has four children with her, Merida the red-haired Princess, and Hamish, Harris and Hubert their triplet sons. And seeing three young baby bears in the mother bears grip, that must be them then.

Mor'du bowed his big bear head down and 'clumsily' gave Elinor and her triplet sons a bow before them.

"Welcome to the forest of DunBroch, my lady and lords." Mor'du smirked and then rose back up again. "So, Queen Elinor of the house DunBroch, Lords: Hamish, Harrish and Hubbert. What brings you four into the forest, and why are you all bears?"

Elinor blinked, Mor'du doesn't seem to be attacking them like he usually would, so maybe he was genuine.

"Easy Mor'du, we ate a delicious cake, all 4 of us and we were transformed into these four bears we are now." Hamish explained.

The other three bears nodded their heads, Mor'du nodded his head and chuckled, oh boy this will be exciting.

Queen Elinor growled back at him, "Stay away from us. I'll... I'll fight you if I have to, to save my children."

Mor'du backed away and sat down rolling his eyes, "I won't attack an unskilled bear. True I can destroy entire armies of men who venture into the forest, but its none of the humans' rights to venture into the forest when its under the nature protection act set up by my own ancestors of the forest. So I'm just going to leave you be. How long are you four going to remain bears for? All eternity, or do you know how to solve your bear crises?"

All 4 new bears looked at each other, Mor'du rolled his eyes and understood they had no idea. He just turned around and then left them in the clearing, the children wanted to call after him, but he didn't listen. Elinor and her three children blinked, that was an odd encounter with Mor'du.

Just as Mor'du left the scene, Merida's wild hair appeared, she has been running through the forest and tracked her mother back down again. Elinor, Hamish, Harrish and Hubert blinked as they saw the princess come back again.

Merida sighed and rubbed over her head, "Ok Mother, Hamish, Harrish and Hubbert, I've done my research and know what for herbs I need to get from India, I'll be gone for about 318 days whiles riding Angus towards India. I'll have to gather in at least two pounds worth of herbs to get this medication together. The medication is known under the concept of tea."

The four bears nodded their heads but then tilted it. If Merida was going to be gone for so long, how long could they remain 'half human and half bear' without going nuts like Mor'du?

Merida nodded her head and sighed, "I can see what you four might be thinking, and I got the answer. The witch has brewed a second potion, this will keep your memories about your human life inside of you for the 318 days I'll be away. You will only have to drink this potion once and hopefully, it will keep you three sain until I return. But I have to beg you four, please stay in the forest and don't return to the castle. If dad finds you four like this, then he will most likely try to kill you four."

But Elinor shook her head, King Fergus was away after all, Merida remembered that as well and nodded her had. She poured the potion into a metal pot and had her three brothers and her mother drink from it.

After Merida was sure the four had the potion inside she bagged the bottle back in again, "I've already packed everything together, I was just going to tell you what the plan is. I'll see you four soon."

The four bears nodded their heads, Merida embraced the four, jumped onto her horse before guiding him to the east. Quickly Merida pressed her horse and she disappeared out of the forest as fast as she could. She had to get the herbs as soon as possible.

Meanwhile with Mor'du.

Mor'du was eating some fish by a river in the forest. He enjoyed the meal, but as he looked at himself in the river he blinked. Mor'du remembered coming across Queen Elinor and her three sons that afternoon, they were only freshly transformed for a few hours. Did they even know how to live as a wild bear? If any of the natural and normal bears would find them they could take advantage of the Queen and maybe even kill the three cubs...

Could Elinor protect her three children from the other wild bears? Once mating season will come round in a few months, would the wild bears take advantage of the innocent Queen and rape her? Or even kill the three kids and Elinor? All because he's a 'coward' in protecting them? No, Queen Elinor was still part human under all the bear costume and the same with her three sons. Mor'du can't allow any of the wild bears to find them and harm them that way.

Mor'du sighed, he may have been cursed as a wild bear decades ago, and he was as good as a bear, but part of him was still slight human. And his 'human' soul was screaming at him to protect Elinor from the other wild bears. Mor'du nodded his head and turned around, heading back to where he saw Elinor and the cubs last.

'I hope I'm not too late.' Mor'du thought as he headed back to where he saw Elinor last.

As Mor'du walked on through the forest, he saw on the forest path Princess Merida riding on her horse out of the forest, he assumes she must be the one who placed Queen Elinor under the curse and was now going out to save her. Mor'du sighed and sniffed the ground and air, trying to locate the Queen and her three sons.

It took him a while, but he eventually located her at the place where he saw her last. Mor'du chuckled as he saw Queen Elinor and her three children looked a little lost.

"Good evening you four." Lord Mor'du called out to them.

Elinor went back into bear attack mode and growled at him low and deep, "What are you doing back here Mor'du? We will make sure not to cross your path whiles we have to hide from King Fergus!"

Mor'du looked down at the three cub kids, they quivered and looked at their own mother scared, Mor'du rolled his eyes a bit.

"I know that Queen Elinor, but I gave it some thought, I am the only other cursed bear in these Dun'Broch forests, and know how the other wild bears act around each other. Until you've made it through the first winter in a few months time you'd be stalked, growled at, attacked and could even be raped by the wilder bears. In the wild, the strong survive whiles the weak are either used for one's own pleasure or even killed. Do you know how to catch fish for your meat consumption? Do you know how to collect honey to eat? Do you know how to take care of yourself as a bear? Do you know how to survive through the winter?" Mor'du asked.

Hamish, Harris and Hubert blinked and looked at their mother, Mor'du does bring up a good point, they have no clue. Queen Elinor gritted her teeth, true she only knows how to sow, be queen, look after her children as a human... not as a bear.

Elinor bowed her head down and sighed, "No... I don't know."

"Thought so," Mor'du said nodding his head, "Ok, you four can stay with me for the time being Merida is away. These forests are full of other wild bears, and with no experiences you four would not make it through the winter. I'll give you my word to keep an eye on you four until Merida returns."

Harris blinked, "But why? What could you gain from it?"

Mor'du bowed his head down as a tear fell down his old face, "I've lost my own entire family, through my own selfish way's, I've destroyed my own kingdom and now am remembered as a terrifying monster of a bear... if anyone who is tricked under the witches curse has to go through it as well, I don't want them to suffer the same faith as me. I could redeem myself for my own faults by keeping an eye on you four until Merida returns. Plus I couldn't live with myself if anything were to happen to you four. Please, allow me to keep you safe."

Queen Elinor and the kids blinked, they had no other choice and accepted Lord Mor'du's offer. He smiled a bit and lead them out of the forest and towards his own bear cave.

Quanktumspirit: "Please review, I hope its better now. I don't own any characters (yet), all characters belong to Pixar."