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Briar was a very lonely child. She had no siblings, and her parents didn’t seem to want any more handfuls given to them. Most of her early validation came from high marks she got on projects, or nurses saying she was so brave for not screaming and crying when she got her flu shot. She never really got along with other kids, ever. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to run and play with everyone.
She just couldn’t stop talking about bones.
Nobody could ever dare their friends to poke a dead bird they found because Brainy Briar was not only all over it, but she also had her own pair of gloves on so that she wouldn’t get any diseases. Her 3rd grade history presentation made 2 girls cry because she spent so much time detailing how horrifically ill people would get before saline was invented. Parents, kids, and teachers begged her mom and dad to get Briar checked out.
Briar certainly… Had a time, whenever she went to the doctor’s office. It seemed like the only person who really got her was her pediatrician, who would answer her questions AND give her kiwi flavored lollipops!
Nevermind how the other nurses, the teachers, her parents talked of how concerned they were for her development. When she heard the kids lie about what her brain was like, how surprised they were when she explained what was actually happening. Not that she was ever mean, but people still called her rude for being excited or being honest about someone's outfit. How three different psychologists would always ask the same question;
“Can you remember when this obsession started?”
Swap Force
13 year old Briar had been very quiet, for once in her life. Practically no one was talking to her outside of "Hey how are you". Middle school insecurity hit her hard, and even the classic nerds were tired of her energy. She didn't want to disappear into a hole yet, but she didn't want to be around anyone anymore.
Late one night, Briar could hear a strange storm right ahead of her bedroom. Against common judgement, she went to investigate.
Next thing she knew, not only was she on a ship in a volcano, but another girl had knocked through her. It was a lot to process, but she managed to help defend the ship without getting her head cut off!
Briar was now in the Cloudbreak islands, one of the two who could protect the centennial eruption of Mount Cloudbreak. Only problem was that Briar and Valentina weren't well equipped for the job.
Briar was just stressed out of her mind with the whole situation. First she's been stranded in another dimension, and now she's responsible for making sure the realm doesn't get screwed over? She didn't start with any powers, just her own senses that she wasn't even proud of at this point! And Valentina was scary in how mysterious and closed off she was, even shouting at Briar for just asking what the ears were about.
Though when Valentina was incapacitated in the ruins, Briar managed to drive the puppet-ted machine into the spikes below. Not physically, but she managed to trick the one inside. After this point, something Briar didn't think would happen to her ever had emerged.
Valentina, who had been trying to push away everyone else, spent most of the hunt for the Terrasquid trying to get to know Briar. She didn't really notice at first, but Valentina kept trying to split off from the rest of the group with her. It turned out the two had more in common than first thought, both having been isolated for parts of them they couldn't control. Briar was relieved to get someone to talk to so closely about this to, who could finally take the time to look at her in all her death loving, medical nerd personality and still be her friend.
Though after the encounter with Mesmerelda, Briar started to feel a pit settling in her. Not just from how harrowing it was, having to both fight and make sure not to harm Valentina, but the following realizations in Phantasmal Forest. How after this the journey would be over, and Briar would have to go home.
"Home". Where she'd have to just forget about everything that happened and go back. Back to quietly eating by herself, only answering her parents questions with nods and shakes because she refused to talk while eating at all. Where she was expected to only be heard from during biology, where she'd answer half the questions while ignoring how the kids behind her gossiped so loudly it was hard to think. Not even allowed to think about what would happen to Valentina, who'd not only be left without the one friend she made, but still lacking a place to stay, to be safe, to have someone look after her...
When the celebrations for the eruption and new chieftess were taking place, she tried to mention this to Valentina. But all her friend could tell her was that she was used to it, how she never often got the chance to bond with anyone that close and that she would figure out what to do next.
And lil Briar's heart broke so loud that it was no wonder how Kaos's Mother found her.
Not only would the Skylanders have to rescue Tessa, but come to find the Evilized Briar, who trapped Valentina and her in a ampitheater with exits blocked off. Turned out that the pit Briar had begun to feel wasn't just normal dread, but a dark charm meant to slowly evilize one of the portal masters.
Though it hadn't been a intense battle, it was certainly a long one. Briar was more focused on keeping Valentina there than causing any harm, which would be the key to breaking the spell kept on her.
While the two were able to have a tearful confession and trap the older Portal Master into a mirror, there was no time to rest as Kaos was about to manually corrupt the magic in skylands. The two raced to stop him, creating a magical power surge of their combined powers to cleanse and kickoff the magic eruption.
Mirror of Mystery
While Glumshanks is having the time of his life, Briar and Valentina get put through the fucking ringer. The Mirror version of Briar, Willow, is a mad painter who steals other's life force in order to bring her creations to life. Briar straight up gets shot by the Mirror Valentina. Though in the end it takes all 3 of them to seal the mirror and prevent the Mirror realm's invasion of Skylands.