Brave Beauty

Brave Beauty is the femslash ship between Merida and Belle from the Brave, Beauty and the Beast and Once Upon A Time fandoms.

DunBroch
Merida and Belle meet each other when Belle comes to rescue Lancelot with the rest of her team. She finds Merida captured and brought to Arthur’s dungeon, devastated by the loss of her father and the kidnapping of her brothers. Belle and her team manage to help Merida get out of her dungeon. But Merida doesn’t want to leave because she’s still upset that Arthur took her wisp, and she needs to save her brothers from him. Belle and her team don't care about that and take Merida with them, promising to help her with rescuing her brothers.

So Merida takes matters into her own hands, first bonding with Belle over Merida’s journey and then distracting her and cutting her off from the group. She knocks her out and drags her along to the Shores of DunBroch on a boat. Since Merida picks up on the fact that Belle knows spells and how to work magic, she wants Belle to help her save her brothers. Fortunately, when Belle wakes up, she is a little understanding and listens as Merida describes her plight. She wants to show the clans that she deserves to be queen because she refuses to give it up for a man. The two of them find a witch’s house with an abandoned cauldron, where Merida realizes they can use magic to help her find her brothers. Merida realizes that in order to save her brothers, she needs to change her fate, but to do this, she needs Belle’s help, because she needs a potion from her to turn into a bear.

Later, Belle sees Merida practicing archery and is surprised by her skill. So Merida opens up to Belle about her father, how he was supportive of her and how he taught her her skill with the arrow. Merida still doesn’t think she’s strong enough to take on the clans by herself, so she asks Belle to help her with a potion. Belle’s convinced she doesn’t need magic, and tells Merida that the bravery is there inside her. Once the two get to DunBroch, Merida immediately sees her brothers about to be executed. Belle tries to talk her out of going ahead with her plan, but Merida does her one better, and tells her how her father died because of her. Belle sympathizes by telling her how she lost her mom and then gives her the potion. And with the strength of magic, Merida is finally brave enough to confront the clans and save her brother.

However, Merida doesn’t turn into a big bear because Belle only pretended to give Merida the potion. She knew that Merida would never face her fears unless she was pushed into it, so she wholeheartedly trusted in Merida's bravery to fight. So Merida fires her own arrow and redeems herself by saving her brothers. This impresses the clans as well, who accept her as their leader.

So as Belle and Merida say their goodbyes, Merida thanks Belle for all her help and Belle tells her she wishes their paths cross again. Merida reiterates her gratitude to Belle and then sees her go in her boat as she rows away. And the two of them stare at each other as they get further and further away.

Fanon
While the ship is commonly focused on OUaT's version of the two, there are fans who use ship and its commonly used title with Disney's versions of them within the Disney Princess part of the Disney fandom, since the ABC television series has its own versions of the Disney characters and has a few traits from its series; and it being the live-action show that helped to trigger the ship.

Because Ralph Breaks the Interest is a canon Disney crossover that has a version of the two that know each other, like their once counterparts do in the Once Upon A Time series, fans of the Disney side of the ship sometimes have Belle and Merida in the modern-style clothes that the netizen versions of them wear in the film.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Belle/Merida (OUAT) tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Belle/Merida (OUAT) tag on FanFiction.Net

Trivia

 * In the Disney film, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Belle and Merida appear as online versions of themselves known as "netizens", the inhabitants of the digital made world that lies within the real-life internet. Where they are two of the fourteen Disney Princesses that are from the expo-like Disney website, Oh My Disney.
 * In one of the film's posters, Netizen Belle and Merida are seen standing beside each other. As well as the two standing close-like together during the Disney Princess group photos scene in one of the trailers, and sitting close to each other while wearing their new modern style clothes in the film itself.
 * Both Belle and Merida appear in the Disney Junior series show, Sofia the First, when the Amulet of Avalor summoned them to aid Sofia.