Connor, Spark, Miles, Miranda, Amara, and Chenoa had traversed more miles after they had seen Spark's old rival and it was almost sunset now and they hadn't come any closer to finding Chenoa's parents. Spark noticed that Connor was looking exasperated as he looked back between a compass, a map, and the surrounding tree area, she could also hear him mumbling to himself.
"Connor, are you alright?" Spark asked concerned for her boyfriend.
"No, I'm not alright, I'm trying to lead my friends through the woods to try and find a deer girl's parent's and we haven't found one trace of them at all." Connor grumbled as he looked at the map again.
"Connor, it's alright, we'll just start again tomorrow." Spark said touching Connor's shoulder.
"HER PARENTS MIGHT BE DEAD BEFORE TOMORROW!" Connor yelled at Spark, as Chenoa held back from crying while Spark crossed her arms looking angrily at Connor.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm from a family of demon hunters and I can't find a single trace of deer people anywhere. I'm good with weapons, I'm good with tech thanks to Uncle Rick. But trying to do average nature trailing has never been easy for me." Connor apologized to everyone.
Chenoa suddenly shot her head up and tilted her head like an animal hearing something.
"Group together, I do not think we're alone out here anymore." Chenoa warned everyone as they all grouped together in a circle and looked at their surroundings to see if they could see what was approaching them.
"It could be Rei and Nat." Miranda suggested.
"No, I would hear their voices first. Something else is coming, but I don't know who or what." Chenoa explained as everyone looked around carefully before Connor noticed something in the direction he was looking.
"There." He said silently as they all looked to see something brown heading to them. Connor, Miles, and Miranda readied the weapons they had on them while Spark readied herself as well with her own fairy power.
Shooting up from the ground and numerous leaves was a large golden brown grizzly bear.
"BEAR!!!" Amara and Miranda screamed together while holding one another.
Connor, Miles, and Spark almost took up their weapons against the bear before Chenoa jumped up to the bear and embraced the bear in a hug.
"Mrs. Locke! I'm so relieved to see you!" Chenoa said happily hugging the bear.
"Huh?" Amara said confused as the bear suddenly transformed from a golden brown grizzly bear into a woman with curly golden blonde hair, while her fur changed to clothes that looked like they came out of the mid 19th century, she looked like a beautiful peasant woman in that way.
"Oh, Chenoa, the forest has been looking for you and your parents for some time now." The bear woman said giving Chenoa a hug.
"Have you...seen or heard about them? We saw a fairy not too lock ago who was working for the shaman to find them."
"Alas, no. I've not seen nor heard from them in weeks, but I can see you have gotten help." The bear woman said looking at the teens.
"Now come along, I think you all should come back to my family cottage for the night then I'll take you all to the shaman in the morning." The bear woman said as she motioned for them to follow her.
"Uh, Chenoa, we do have Nat and Rei coming too, or maybe they'll come tomorrow, but maybe you can clue us in on who this is first." Miles suggested.
"Oh, of course, forgive me, Miles. I was just so relieved to see her." Chenoa apologized nuzzling Miles as an apology.
"I would like you all to meet my godmother and legal guardian: Mrs. Locke. But you may all know her as...." Chenoa began before Mrs. Locke finished.
"Goldilocks from Goldilocks and the three bears. I grew up, got 'hot as fuck' as you kids might say and married into the bear family. Marrying that sexy Baby bear or Bear Jr as he prefers and used old Native American magic to become part-woman, part-bear, and mother of many bears since my story was told. Now let's head to my cottage, my husband will be relieved to see you alive Chenoa." Mrs. Locke said gently holding Chenoa's hand in hers as they led the way back to the cottage.
"I don't believe it." Spark said.
"I know, I never thought we'd meet a bear woman." Connor said as they followed the group last.
"What? Oh, yeah that too. But that she still is hot as fuck after all these years. Bears magic must be strong." Spark said as they followed the group to Mrs. Locke's home.