Ben Claus

Introduction

Maple's brother. He has the nickname "Big Ben" due to his size. He is a fan of giving out bear hugs and dislikes when people flee in terror from him.

Personality

Ben is just a big ole' teddy bear. He's more of a pacifist but will fight when it's necessary.

History

Ben grew up in a loving household with a large grizzly dad and a comforting mother. Much of there days were spent peacefully aside from the occasional run in with a human ending with them fleeing in fear of being mauled by bears.

During one outing with his parents, the family returned to find that someone had been in their house while they were gone. Fearful it was a hunter who had come to collect their hides, they nervously looked the damage over. It was Ben that found out the monster hunter they were searching for was actually a young girl. Right as they went to give her a nudge, she awoke and immediately started screaming. Everyone scrambled to calm her down, especially when she begain to run around the room for an exit. Thankfully, Ben's mother caught her in one of her bear hugs and settled her down enough to talk. It was then they learned that her name was Maple and she was unfortunately an orphan. Agreeing to keep the latter a secret, they told her she could stay with them until her parents showed up. As extra measure, Ben's dad went out daily in the morning but would return empty handed in the evening. Fearful that he too would disappear, Maple told him to stop searching.

Over years, Maple and Ben became close, transitioning from friends to siblings as she was fully merged into the family. Ben's parents made sure to teach her the ways of being a bear, including how to hunt and fight.

It was then that the Ink Black Bear sightings had returned. At first Maple ignored them but upon telling Mr. and Mrs. Claus about how her father left to hunt it, they ventured off to track it down. Maple was left alone with Ben under orders to stay at home until they returned.

That night, the nightmare returned and Maple and Ben woke up to the smell of ink. Curious, they both ventured downstairs where they came upon a large black bear standing in the doorway, ink dripping from its fur. Without a moment's hesitation, the two ran for their lives. Being small cubs however, neither of them were fast enough to outrun the bear and were caught. Before they were devoured, the fairytales' Märchens awoke and they fused together for the first time, creating Polarus. Fighting back, they defeated the monster, only to pass out and awaken at night, alone in the forest with ink staining their fur.

Wandering, scared and alone, Polarus was eventually found by a witch while at the verge of breaking apart. Preparing to awaken as a stuffed mount on someone's fireplace, Ben was relieved to awaken and see he was in one piece alongside his sleeping sister.

Skills and Abilities

Ben looks identical to a regular bear save for the fact he is capable of maneuvering himself in aways others cannot. He is also able to speak which sets him apart.

Märchen

Too Small, Too Tall allows Ben to change his form and shrink it into that of a teddy bear of grow into that of a ginormous towering grizzly.

Polarus
Maple and Bean fuse together to become a large bearlike beast.

Trivia

• Ben actually has a rather long tail for a bear. He often uses it for fishing, noting that fish have a strange attraction to it.