Chapter Thirty-Six: A Bear of a Trouble

After returning to the castle Jason and Max watch as Merida returns to the castle she prepares a tea tray for her mother and places the tart on the tray.

"Merida please let's think about this" Jason said as the door opened.

"Merida!" Queen Elinor said.

"Mom! Oh…uh…I…um…" Merida said.

"Oh, I've been worried sick!"

"You…you were?"

"I didn't know where you'd gone or when you'd come back! I didn't know what to think! Oh, look at you dress!"

"Oh, Angus threw me. But I'm not hurt."

"Well, you're home now. So that's the end of it."

"Honestly?"

"I've pacified the lords for now. You're father's out there 'entertaining' them" Queen Elinor smiles, "Of course, we both know a decision still has to be made."

Merida then turns and picks up the plate of tart

"What's this?"

"It's a peace offering. I made it, for you!" Merida said as Elinor takes the plate of tart.

"You made this for me?" Queen Elinor said as she takes a small slice of the tart, "Mm."

Suddenly Elinor's face is suddenly twisted, "interesting flavor."

"How do you feel?" Merida asked.

"What…what is that?"

"Different?"

"Tart, and um…gamy!"

Elinor starts to feel sick and puts the plate of tart down.

"Have you changed your mind at all about the marriage and all that?"

Elinor takes a drink and gargles it in her mouth to get rid of the taste of the tart.

"Now, why don't we go upstairs to the lords and put this whole kerfuffle to rest?" she said as she takes Merida out of the kitchen.

"Man this is not good" Jason said as they followed and as they walk towards the hall Elinor suddenly starts to feel sick.

"Oh!"

"Mother?"

"Your majesty? Are you alright?" Jason asked.

"I'm woozy suddenly. Oh, my head's spinning like a drop!" she said as Merida catches Elinor as she's about to fall.

"Mom!"

"Oh! Suddenly I'm not well."

"Uh…how do you feel about the marriage now?"

"Merida! Ah! Will you take me to my room?" she said and as Elinor is feeling sick from eating the tart, Merida and Json helps take her to her room, the three lords spot them as they pass.

"Queen! We've been waiting, patiently" Lord MacGuffin said.

"My lords, I am out of sorts at the moment. But you shall have your answer…" Queen Elinor said as she suddenly does a massive burp "…presently. Now, if you'll excuse us."

"Oh my" Max said as Merida and Jason helps her mom get into bed.

"Just take all the time you need to get yourself right, mom. And maybe in a bit you might have something new to say on the marriage?" Merida said.

"What was in that cake?" Queen Elinor asked.

"Cake!" Merida said as suddenly Elinor rolls of the bed in pain.

"Your majesty!" Jason said.

"Mom? So, I…I'll just tell them the wedding's off then?"

Merida, Jason and Max than hears a growling noise from where Elinor rolled of down the bed.

"Mom?" Merida said.

"Your majesty?" Jason said as they walked around to see if Elinor is fine as they see a giant shape rise from the floor from under the blanket and see that Elinor has transformed into a bear making Merida scream with terror.

"AHHHH!" Merdia yelled falling down and hit the wall.

"What is this?!" Jason said seeing the queen nowhere in sight and connected two and two.

"Bear!" Merida yelled as the beat looked at its own shadow and Elinor starts freaking out and did the same thing Merida just said as she grunted at Merida who screamed as Elinor felt her body and looked at her hands as she began to look through her jewelry box and pulled out a mirror to see her reflection and began to freak out and tearing up the room.

"Mom, you're….you're a bear! You're a bear! Why a bear?! Oh, that scaffie witch gave me a gammy spell!" Merida yelled.

Elinor, now unable to speak, gives Merida a shocked look at her revelation.

"It's not my fault! I didn't ask her to change you into a bear. I just wanted her to change…you" Merida said and realizing what Merida has done, Elinor growls at Merida in anger.

"I told you this was going to end up wrong!" Jason said.

Later that day Jason, Max and Merida watched as Elinor paces around and growls in frustration as if telling Merida off.

"There's no point in having a go at me! The witch is to blame! Googly old hag!" Merida said as Elinor finds her crown and puts it on.

"I'll go over to her place. Unbelievable! I'll get her to fix this." Merida said as Elinor decides to leave her room, "Mom, you can't go out there! Mom! What are you doing!"

"Please your majesty!" Jason said as Merida, Max and him tries to stop her mom from leaving.

"Dad! The Bear King! If he so much as sees you, you're dead!" suddenly Merida and the others hears Fergus, who's heard the commotion and is heading towards them followed by the lords, Elinor heads the other way and Merida, Jason and Max follows her.

"Mom! Wait!" Merida said trying to stop Elinor from sneaking out, Merida snatches off Elinor's bed sheet that she's wrapped around herself.

"Stop!"

Elinor feeling embarrassed tries to cover herself

"You're covered with fur! You're not naked! It's not like anyone's gonna see you!" Merida said and at that moment they see the triplet's nanny standing in the hallway looking at them in shock, Elinor waves at her and she screams and runs off.

"Now you've done it."

"Uh guys! We got company!" Jason yelled hearing the battle cries coming their way.

After Elinor tries to get away from Fergus hunting her down and she stumbles into a room to hide but finds the triplets playing.

"A witch turned mom into a bear. It's not my fault. We've got to get out of the castle. I need your help!" Merida said as the triplets cross their arms and stare at her, "Oh, alright! You can have my deserts for two…three weeks!"

The triplet in the middle indicates with his hand that Merida needs to increase the offer.

"Little hustler" Jason said.

"Fine! A year!" the triplets nod their heads and agree to help Merida get Elinor out of the castle.

After the triplets help Merida, Jason, Max and Elinor sneak out of the castle, Elinor turns and gives a worrying look towards the triplets as they stood in the kitchen.

"They'll be fine. Won't you, boys? Mom, we've got to hurry!" Merida said as she pushes her mom out the door and turns to the triplets, "Now, I'll be back soon. Go on and help yourself to anything you want, as a reward."

Merida closes door, the triplets turn and see the half eaten witch's tart and head towards it.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

After leaving the castle, Max, Jason, Merida and her mother head out to the forest as they stood in the stone circle.

"Where are those wisps? Come out wisps. Come on out! Lead me to the witch's cottage! I'm here. Fine, don't come out now that my mom's watching!" Merida said.

"Come on out where are you?" Jason said looking behind a book as Elinor looks at them questioningly.

"I was standing right here, and the wisp appeared right there! Then a whole trail of them led me off into the forest" Merida said as Elinor starts walking off into the forest.

"Does she think that I just happened upon a witch's cottage?" Merida said.

"Maybe we'll luck out" Jason said.

After walking a while in the forest Merida suddenly stops and looks around her.

"Oh, mom! I know this place. The witch's cottage is this way! Come on! Hurry!" Merida said as she starts running ahead and finds the witch's cottage.

"Oh no way" Max said.

"I can't believe it! I found it!" Merida said as she opens the cottage door but finds it completely empty.

"Oh no" Jason said.

"No! She was here! No, really! She was just here! Oh, wait" Merida said as she snaps her finger like the witch had done before and goes back to open the cottage door, but it's still empty, "No!" she yelled as she keeps shutting and opening the cottage door, "No! No! No!"

"There has to be something" Jason said as Merida steps in and accidently sets off a Rube Goldberg machine which brings up the witch's cauldron with a ghostly image of the witch appearing above it.

"Welcome to the Crafty Carver, home of bear carvings and novelties. I am completely out of stock at this time, but if you'd like to inquire about a portrait or wedding cake toppers, pour via; one into the cauldron. If you'd like a bedouin garlic, vial two. If you're that red-haired lass, vial three."

Merida than quickly pours the contents of vial three into the cauldron.

"Princess, I'm off to the Wickerman's festival in Stoneleigh. I won't be back till spring. There's one bit I forgot to tell you about the spell. By the second sunrise, your spell will be permanent, unless you remember these words; 'Fate be changed, look inside mend the bond torn by pride.'

"Fate be changed? Mend the bond? What does that mean?" Merida asked.

"One more time. 'Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride.' That's it! Ta-ta! Oh, and thank you for shopping at the Crafty Carver!" the witch said and suddenly the witch's ghostly image disappears.

"No! No! Where did you go!" Merida said randomly pouring another bottle and suddenly the witch's ghostly image appears again and starts giving the same message as Merida starts pouring in all the vials into the cauldron in panic and accidently blows the cauldron and the cottage.

"Oh that witch not going to be happy about this" Jason said as it starts to rain and they build a shelter for Elinor and as they all sat under it Merida turns to Elinor.

"We'll sort it out tomorrow" Merida said.

As they sleep, Merida has flashback to when she was little and was afraid of thunder her mother would hold and comfort her.

"Brave little girl. Hey, wee lassy. I'm here. I'll always be right here" Queen Elinor said.

The next morning Merida wakes to find Elinor has laid out a table for breakfast.

"Uh…good morning. So, what's all this supposed to be?" Merida asked as Elinor growls trying to communicate.

"What?" Merida said as the bear made more growls and grunts at them.

"Okay you have something in your nose!" Max said trying to guess what she was saying as Elinor shook her head and made more growls and gestures and her ear moved.

"Uh...I didn't get that" Jason said

"Sorry, I don't speak bear" Merida said as Elinor mimes that Merida should remove her bow from the table.

"Oh!" Merida said as she removes her bow and Elinor starts eating the berries she's gathered for breakfast.

"Find those by the creek, did you?"

"Mmm hmm" the bear grunted as she Max and Jason began to ate the barriers.

"Mmm odd taste" Jason said chewing.

"I like it" Max said chewing as well.

"They're Nightshade berries. They're poisonous" Merida said and suddenly Elinor, Max and Jason spits out the berries they just put in their mouths and in panic drinks some water on the table.

"Where did you get this water? It has worms!" Merida said as Elinor, Max and Jason quickly spits out the water they were drinking.

"EGH! Gross!" Max said spitting.

"Man a lousy way to nearly die!" Jason said spittign as well as Elinor sits in defeat and Merida smiles and gets up.

"Come on" Merida said as they head to a creek and Merida uses her bow to catch a fish.

"Breakfast!" Merida said holding the fish up and Elinor claps.

"Oh, wait! A princess should not have weapons, in your opinion" Merida said as Elinor nods in agreement and Merida holds the fish out for Elinor, "There you go. Go on."

The fish than flaps as it's still alive and Elinor turns away in disgust.

"Eat it raw?" Jason said.

"How do you know you don't like it if you won't try it?" Merida said as Elinor give her a look.

Merida then cooks the fish over a fire and Elinor tries to eat with decorum but quickly chomps it down, as Elinor is still hungry Merida then teaches Elinor how to catch fish from the creek and they start bonding.

"Maybe this is what the spell meant" Jason said watching Elinor try to catch fish.

"I get it, they need to reform that bond they once had do you think they can?" Max asked.

"I think so" Jason said using hey keyblade to smack a fish jumping out of the water to Max who caught it and tossed it to the pile they had.

After bonding over catching fish Elinor walks off into the forest]

"Mom, come back!" Merida said.

"Your majesty! Hey wait up" Jason called as Elinor turns and starts to act more like a bear and growls at them.

"Mom, is that you?" Elinor growls and goes to attack Merida but suddenly stops as she remembers who she is.

"Oh dear" Jason said.

"Mom? You changed! Like you were a…I mean, like you were a bear on the inside" Merida said.

"Huh? Hey look!" Max said as they suddenly notice a wisp.

"A wisp!" Merida said then Elinor jumps to get hold of it as the wisp made Elinor crash into a tree.

"Oh!" Jason winced.

"Look mom, I know your tired and scared but we got to keep our heads! Just calm down, listen" Merida said as they began to hear the sounds all around the,.

"I don't hear the sound of the wisps whisper" Max said as they then heard the whispers and saw the trail begin to form.

"They will show us the way" Merida said as they began to follow.

A.N. Please Review.