A/N: This takes place right after "Lost, Alone and Afraid", so I would recommend reading that first. You dont have too, but the beginning will make more sense.

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirit or Brave.

Grass. Spirit pawed at it, rolled in it, and tore up delicious mouthfuls of it. Not only did it taste wonderful, Spirit was nickering with pleasure as he felt it brush against his coat and pad his aching hooves. He sank to his knees and simply streached out on his side, closing his eyes and breathing in the fresh, pure air.

About a week ago, Spirit had been with his herd when he suddenly fell through a portal. It had taken him to a terrifying world, full of stange machines called cars. There he had found an old friend, a stallion called Greybar.

If only he could be here, Spirit thought sadly.

By the time Spirit had found another portal, it was too late. Greybar had been hit by one of the cars and killed.

Spirit rose to his feet, appetite gone. Just then he realized how quiet it was. Too quiet. Much too quiet.

An enormous black bear errupted from the trees. Its shadow darkened the forest, and distruction and death reeked from his body. It roared when it saw Spirit, and rose up on its hind legs, bellowing.

Spirit's ears pinned. He was afraid, but also angry. He reared and screamed, jumping out of the way as the bear brought its forepaws down with a mighty thud.

I'm outa here! Spirit took off. Even though his heart pounded with the thought of what was behind him, it felt good to run again, to streatch his legs farther and farther, leaping over logs, and dodging around trees. A kind of recklessness filled him and he ran on and until he felt the grassy carpet beneith his hooves turn into hard and unforgiving stone. The air clotted with fog, making everything looks faint and blurry. Every few feet sharp rocks rose out of the ground, casting strange shadows and looking at him coldly.

Where am I?

"Marriage?" Merida's spoon went clattering on the table and she stared in shock at her mother.

"The clans will be coming to present their suitors three days hence," Meria's mother, Queen Elinor, said, looking up from the letters.

"What?!" Merida grabbed a handful of her wild red hair and pulled on it. "I'm... I'm not ready!"

"You are a princess of fifteen. High time you got married," her mother said calmly.

Merida got off the bench and ran out of the hall, oblivious to her three younger brothers, who had popped up from under the table, their mouths crammed with tarts.

Spirit strained his eyes, searching for something, anything besides mist and rocks.

This is as bad as that place full of cars.He shook his head fiercely. Actually, no. Nothing could be as bad as that awful, awful place. But... oh why, why can't I just go home?!

It had been three days since he came to this land. He had found enough grass to satisfy his needs, but he was getting heartily tired of nothing but grey mist. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he saw a wisp of blue. He looked towards it and saw a small, blue... creature? hovering in the air. It seemed to be looking at him, so Spirit stepped towards it, curiosity mounting. It vanished, but more appeared behind it, making a sort of path. Spirit slowly walked through the wisps of blue, wondering what in the world they were.

"Angus!"

Merida glared at her horse, tears running out of her eyes, her dress ripped in a dozen places and streaked with dirt.

The competition for her hand had been... awful. It began well, but ended with the clans' tensions mounting to the brink. Elinor was furious with her. Merida couldn't take it any longer, so she grabbed Angus and ran into the foresr with him. As if the day couldn't get any worse, he had shied at something and thrown her. As she looked around, she saw she was in the middle of a ring of tall stones, each one looking like it wanted to pierce the sky.

Suddenly she heard an eerie, whispering voice. Whispering. A wisp. As Merida reached out to touch it, it disappeared, but several others materialized behind it.

"C'mon, Angus," she whispered, but the black horse squealed in fright and hid behind one of the rocks. With a groan of dispair, she walked towards the wisps. Angus neighed and darted forward, but spooked at every little thing.

Spirit's ears pricked at the squeal of a horse. A horse! He had followed the blue creatures out of the misty, rocky place, and was back in the forest once more.

Spirit cantered forward and soon came to a small hill with a door in it. Near it, a large black horse was squealing and bucking.

What was that? It kept saying. What was that?

Just then it stopped mid-buck to stare suspiciously at Spirit. Who are you? Are you the old lady's horse or something?

Ummm... no, Spirit said slowly. I was, um, just in the woods when I came these floating blue creatures.

You mean wisps? the horse asked. Those things freak me out.

So do a lot of things, apparently, Spirit thought, but didn't say it out loud.

Just then a young girl stepped out of the cottage, holding a small. "I've got it," she whispered. Then she started a little at the sight of Spirit. "Who are you? And what are you doin' here?"

Who is she? Spirit asked, curious.

Merida DunBroch. Daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor.

"Must be some pet of that witch," Merida mused, looking him over.

I am not a pet! Spirit thought indignantly.

"We better be getting back, Angus!" the girl tried to sound cheerful, but her face told otherwise.

What next? Spirit asked himself, after they had left. Might as well see what else is in crazy world.

Spirit lowered his muzzle and drank deeply out of the rushing stream. Fish hopped in and out, splashing merrily without a care in the world. The late afternoon sun was shaded with clouds, casting shadows over the land. A day since he had met Merida and Angus. He wondered what they were doing.

Suddenly Merida herself came out of the trees... with a bear behind her?! Spirit threw up his head and skittered sideways. What was going on?

"It's you!" Merida exclaimed. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again."

Me neither, Spirit thought. He looked at the small black bear behind her, and raised an eyebrow.

Merida sighed. "If you must know," she confessed. "I turned my mother into a bear." The bear growled sadly as Merida continued, I have to figure out how to turn her back within three days. Well, two now."

What?! Spirit stared at her. Things are just getting stranger and stranger.

Spirit was peacefully sleeping when a great roar shook the forest. He opened his eye s to see... Mor'du. This time the great bear seemed angrier than ever, destroying everything in his path. Spirit screamed with fear and ran. The bear swung his head towards the stallion and began to chase him. At first Spirit thought he could shake the bear off, dodging around trees and rocks, much like in his first encounter. But despite all his efforts, as well as the cover of night, the bear was slowly gaining on him.

It was a desperate flight now, and Spirit's breath heaved in his lungs as his legs began shaking a little with fright. Then he saw a light. He gathered his strength and hurtled towards it, breaking out of the trees into a small meadow with a ring of tall stones in the middle.

The people a large group of people was gathered, with Merida and her mother, still a bear, in the center. The girl seemed to be trying to reason with them. Spirit bugled a warning, and leapt into the crowd.

Mor'du followed him. He paused for a split second, then leapt at Merida. Before he could reach her, though, he was met by Elinor for several minutes they fought, growling and snarling ravenously. Then came a cracking sound. The men shouted in alarm. One of the large rocks cracked. Elinor jumped out of the way, just in time. Mor'du was not so lucky. The great stone came crashing down on him, crushing him completely.

Spirit let out a long breath, heart racing. He was alive. He took a step backwards, then felt the earth tremble. Another portal.

Oh please, Spirit thought. Please take me home!

To be continued in "Here Be Dragons"…