Their bond renewed and strengthened by their adventure, Merida and Elinor become inseparable.

Later, Merida and Elinor work together on a new tapestry of Merida and Elinor as a bear, when they are called to the docks to bid farewell to the other clans. The queen and the triplets are turned back into humans, and the family is reunited. As the sun rises for the second time, Merida, oblivious to the realization of what the witch's riddle actually means, reconciles with her mother. This releases the fallen prince's spirit, who silently thanks Elinor for freeing him. Elinor intercedes, using her bear strength to hold off Mor'du until he is crushed by a falling menhir. Mor'du scatters the clan warriors and targets Merida. The clans and Fergus capture Elinor, but Merida intervenes before Mor'du attacks. With the help of her triplet brothers, who have been transformed by the enchanted cake into bear cubs, Merida repairs the torn tapestry while riding after her father. Mistaking the queen for Mor'du, Fergus pursues the bear with the other clans. Elinor, who is losing her humanity, attacks Fergus, but suddenly regains her composure and flees the castle.

Merida sneaks into the tapestry room with Elinor. The clans agree, breaking tradition but renewing and strengthening their alliance. However, with silent encouragement from Elinor, she instead insists that the first-born should be allowed to marry in their own time to whomever they choose. Having learned the importance of responsibility from her experience with her mother, Merida intends to declare herself ready to choose a suitor as tradition demands. She believes that she can reverse the spell by repairing a tapestry she damaged during their argument. Merida vows to her mother that she will not let her become a wild animal like Mor'du. Merida discovers that he was once the power-mad prince in the legend, transformed by a similar spell. Merida and Elinor are led by the wisps to ancient ruins, where they encounter Mor'du. The witch has abandoned the cottage but left a message: unless Merida is able to 'mend the bond torn by pride' before the second sunrise, the spell will become permanent. Merida returns to the witch's cottage with Elinor, who still retains most of her human personality. The cake causes Elinor to transform into a black bear. Merida bargains with the witch, and receives an enchanted cake that will change her fate. When Merida storms out, she follows the wisps to the hut of an elderly witch. She defeats each of her suitors in an archery contest, shaming the other clans and leading to an argument with Elinor. Merida twists the rules, announcing that she is eligible to compete for her own hand as the first-born of Clan Dunbroch.

The allied clan chieftains arrive with their first-born sons to compete in the Highland Games for Merida's hand in marriage. Reminding Merida of a legend of a prince whose pride and refusal to follow his father's wishes destroyed his kingdom, Elinor warns her that failure to consent to the betrothal could harm Dunbroch. Later as a free-spirited and headstrong young woman, Merida discovers that she is to be betrothed to the son of one her father's allies, much to her dismay. Merida flees on horseback with Elinor, while Fergus fights off Mor'du at the cost of his left leg. Soon afterwards, Mor'du, a huge demon-bear, attacks the family. While venturing into the woods to fetch a stray arrow, Merida encounters a will-o'-the-wisp. In Scotland, a child princess named Merida of the clan Dunbroch is given a bow and arrows by her father, King Fergus, for her birthday.

Merida brave once upon a time