Unification
(Friday Morning- Saturday Afternoon, July 27th- 28th)
"Are you going to the Unification festival tomorrow?" Lonnie asks.
"How could I miss it?" Ace irritably answers. "Every shop will be celebrating it."
"I meant the actual event," she elaborates. "When the speech is made and everything."
"I try to avoid hypocrisy," he evenly expresses.
"It's an event celebrating the union of the kingdoms and the end of war," she reminds him. "How is that hypocrisy?"
"Because, it's our land," Ace sternly says, before he turns to her. "Didn't Luke explain all this to you?"
"I didn't understand anything he said," Lonnie puts forth. "It's like he just expected me to know what he was talking about."
"I'll explain," Ace offers. "Would you like pictures with the story?"
"Pictures?"
Ace nods her over, "Come on. We can finish our run on our way to the court."
When they get to the trailer, Lonnie sits down, and Ace finds the photo album. He sits down and opens it to black-and-white images. He points to a photo of a couple with two teenage sons, "These are my and Ben's grandparents." He points at the taller, buffer one, "Everyone thought Ben's grandfather was going to challenge mine for right to be alpha, but he never said anything about it. Instead, he traveled, and on one of his travels, he came back with a lion." Ace turns to a page where the man and lion are shown, "When we told him we weren't going to allow a lion to live with us, he acted like we were casting out a family member." He turns to her, "It didn't take long for his real family to figure out he was actually with the lion."
"With?" Lonnie repeats. "You mean, like—"
"Yes," Ace interrupts, before he turns the page again. "His brother had become alpha, and he took pity on him. So, my grandfather sent his brother to live with the lion at the edge of the forest. He was the only one willing to visit him. Even their parents couldn't stand the sight of him. He tried coming to events, but he was an outcast. He was shamed everywhere he walked."
"I don't get it," Lonnie comments. "What does this have to do with Unification Week?"
"One day when my grandfather visited," Ace continues, "his brother was upset about how the lion was getting old. He was afraid she was going to die, and then shortly after, he'd disappeared. It was nearly three years later that he had returned, and when my grandfather visited him again, the lion had turned into this woman."
Her mouth gapes, "How?"
"Well, everyone knows about the lamp from the Cave of Wonders now," Ace starts. "When he went searching for a way to keep the lion from dying, he found the lamp and wished for her to live longer. The wish granted her a human life." He points at another photo, "This is her. You can't see it, but it's said she had sand brown hair, pale gold skin, and black eyes."
"What?" Lonnie laughs, "Do you have a crush now?"
"That was his first wish," Ace sternly says, before he breathes. "But even though she was human, the pack still saw it as unnatural. So, his second wish was to live in a fortress, where no one could find them. But he missed his family—the community—so his final wish was to rule the land." He flips a few pages, "This is his castle, and these are all the houses that popped up. Some of the wolves couldn't deal with the struggle of winter, so they took his bribe. He became their ruler, and eventually more people moved here."
"He took your land and built his kingdom on it," she understands.
"A detail that got left out about the lamp is why it was always found in the Cave of Wonders," Ace continues. "If you don't return the lamp, your wishes start to revert back. The lion was starting to return to, well, being a lion. She got hairier, she could roar, and she had a desire for meat again. And after the lamp was returned, she was still this way." He turns a few more pages and finds a picture of a child, "This is the last picture we have of Ben's father, before his parents made the deal with the enchantress." Ace turns from the furry child to her, "Ben's father wasn't cursed to be a beast. He was born one. At eleven, when he started to grow a tail and growl, his parents traded their human lives so that he could have a chance at a normal life. He had ten years to find a mate, and once he did, he would become that species."
"And if he didn't, he would stay a beast," she recalls.
"No." Ace shakes his head, "If he didn't, he would die." She silences, and he explains, "His human DNA was limited. He would have only lived as long as a lion or a wolf could."
After a minute, Lonnie assumes, "There's more to the story."
"After his parents took their animal forms and left," Ace resumes, "the French settled and the Catholic church took advantage of the lack of authority. No wolf was safe. Ben's father survived, because he was hidden in that large castle no one could ever seem to find. Everyone else his family left unprotected, they were all killed. Only our pack survived. The enchantress turned the servants into their literal jobs, so they would have no choice but to stay with him and help him find his mate, as his parents wanted. But what did the servants do? They made him out to be some prince, who was the rightful ruler of the land."
"I get that they messed with your alpha system," Lonnie acknowledges, "but how does this make Unification Week a hypocrisy?"
"Unification Week is built on the idea that some king built his ruined kingdom up and ended war throughout the land," Ace angers, "when what really happened is that a man stole our land and threatened the other kingdoms to keep them from fighting." He grits his teeth, "The great King Adam was a dictator, who had no sense of loyalty to the community."
"How do you even know all this?" Lonnie shakes her head. "You say the enchantress was asked to do this to save Adam, but then why does Adam think the enchantress cursed him?"
Ace takes a moment, "I guess the servants either weren't given all the information or they just thought they'd come up with an easier story to tell, maybe a combination of both."
"You still didn't tell me how you can know the enchantress was trying to be good."
He frowns at her, "I know she was trying to do good, because I know her."
"You know her?" Lonnie whispers.
"Would you like to meet her?" She doesn't say anything, and he stands from the table, "Come on. I'll introduce you."
Ace leads Lonnie to the meat drying tent, and she sees a silver-haired elderly woman sitting in the lawn chair. "Mrs. Van Dyke, this is Lonnie Li. She wanted to meet you." He turns to Lonnie, "Gretchen has a lot of stories. You can ask her anything."
"Are you really the enchantress?" Lonnie questions.
Gretchen Van Dyke stretches out her arm, "Let me see your hand." and Lonnie complies. The woman's expression becomes grim, she places her other hand over Lonnie's, and then a smile creeps to her lips. "From the flames, you will rise."
"Sorry?" her eyebrows furrow.
"You will live a very long and fulfilling life." She pats her hand, "It's nice to see family again. Remember that you will always have a place with us."
"Family?" Lonnie frowns.
"She can see the future," Ace whispers, before he holds her free hand.
"And you're the enchantress that, um, interfered with the royal family?" she inquires.
"I saw a creature in pain," she informs, "and I thought the future I saw could be prevented, should I give the boy a chance to return to his true form—that of his father's."
"So, a were—" She corrects, "A wolf like Ace."
She nods, "But I was wrong. His childhood was ruined by his beastly nature, and he retained that behavior even after his form as been corrected."
"And he blamed you," Lonnie adds on.
"I cannot blame a child for thinking that the fairy witch that showed up the moment his parents disappeared must be a villain." She pauses, "I blame the servants for raising him to hold onto that lie and build that hate."
Sirens sound through the park, and when Lonnie and Ace turn, they see a police van roll up. Ace's father steps out of the trailer, before the cop comes out of the vehicle. He strides up to him, "Might I help you with something, officer?"
"I believe you can," he smiles. "You see. There's been a report of a farmer whose sheep had been stolen by a wolf. Of course, the first people on the case went looking for a real wolf, but when the case made it to my desk, it looked all too familiar."
"You better not be saying what I think you're saying," he warns.
"I know one of your wolves did this," he confirms. "So, tell me: which member of your pack is turning eighteen this season?"
When Lonnie looks at Ace, he quietly commands, "Don't."
"You come onto my land and interrogate me about my pack," Alpha angers. "Do you have any proof to hold up this little theory of yours?"
"A wolf's fur is the same color as their hair, isn't it?" he inquires. Alpha stays quiet, and the cop informs, "The farmer had a camera set up. It showed a white wolf breaking through the fence, injure the sheep, and then drag it away." He nods towards Ace, "Now, who here has white hair and will be turning eighteen this summer?"
"Ace," his father continues to stare at the officer. "Come here." He follows his father's order, and when he stands next to him, he's asked, "Do you know what this man is speaking of?"
"No," Ace frowns. "I don't."
"Looks like you'll have to conduct your search somewhere else," he concludes.
The officer persists, "I know he's responsible for this."
"Then you're going to have to come back with some evidence," Alpha defies.
The officer glares at him, "I'll be back." before he turns back to his van.
Ace's father questions, "You did your entire quest in your wolf form?"
"Yes," he confirms.
"Good." He turns to him, "Because, if you fail that cop's test, you fail mine."
When his father walks away, Lonnie returns to his side, "Did you take a farm animal?"
He faces her, "It's one of the tests I have to pass to earn my place in this community. The humans domesticated the animals and put a restriction on wild game. It's my job to make sure human laws don't starve my family to death."
"So, you break them?" Lonnie disbelieves.
"People who don't even need meat," Ace sternly responds, "have no right to tell a carnivore how much they're allowed to eat. They have no comprehension of what we need."
"Breaking the law is wrong," she persists.
"We used to eat trespassers," Ace informs, and she silences. "We follow more laws now than we ever have, but we're not going to starve just because humans need to feel in control."
Lonnie quietly comments, "You used to eat people?"
"Back in my father's day," Ace explains. "Just another reason Ben shouldn't be alive. His mother trespassed onto our land. She should be dead."
When Lonnie sees Mal and Evie near the buffet table, she walks over to them, "Hey."
Mal smiles, "Hey, Lons. What's up?"
She watches her eat some cheese, "Not much."
"Where's this Ace guy?" she looks past her.
"He's not a fan of this holiday," she uneasily answers.
"Of course, not." Evie points out, "He hates Ben's family."
"He doesn't hate Ben," Lonnie denies.
Doug walks up to them, "Hi, Evie."
"Hello," she smiles.
"I was wondering," he fiddles with his glasses, "if this year you still wanted people to think we're dating. You know, since people seem to think you and Mal are together again."
"Um," Evie thinks.
"Because, if you did," Doug continues, "I thought now would be a good time to take a picture and remind them of that."
Mal frowns, "Do it."
Evie looks at her, "M."
She widens her eyes at her, "I don't want some guy to assault you, just because they think they can prove you like guys."
Evie half laughs, "Doing that wouldn't prove anything."
"But that was Hook's whole point," Mal stresses. "If my body liked it, that meant I must have liked it. And I was just some slut trying to take his job." She tears up and faces Doug, "I don't care if you kiss her. Just keep her safe."
Doug nods, "I will."
"Mal?" Lonnie whispers.
"I'm fine," she insists, as Doug takes a picture of him kissing Evie's cheek.
He types, "Visiting my girlfriend for Unification."
"Good afternoon, Auradon," Ben announces, and Mal looks towards the stage.
She watches him take off his sunglasses, "He needs those."
"Not for speaking." Doug informs, "It's considered informal and impolite to speak with sunglasses. It would be like not removing a hat, while saying sorry for someone's passing."
"But it's not a hat," Mal argues. "He needs those to see. You would be allowed to wear your glasses, wouldn't you?"
"People know I need my glasses to see, and they can see my eyes when I wear them," Doug points out. "You can't see if Ben's sincere or angry when he's wearing those. They're tinted. That's why he has to take them off."
Mal notices Ben shut his eyes for a long second, "Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?" Lonnie asks.
"The way he blinked just now," Mal mentions.
"The sun's in his eyes," Doug dismisses.
"No." Evie observes Ben, "He's dizzy." Mal looks at her, before she stares back at Ben, and he falls from the stage.
She watches Chad catch him, but then Ben feels his way back up the stage to continue his speech. "Is no one going to do anything?" Mal disbelieves.
"Not while the press is here," he remarks.
"Someone has to get him to eat," Mal inputs.
"Eating isn't going to solve his problems," Evie laughs.
She frowns at her, "E. If you know something—"
"M," she grins, holding onto her arms. "I promise you, Ben will get all the help he needs, once he gets arrested for cannibalism."
Lonnie steps towards Doug, "Is she supposed to be taking something?"
"Damn it, Evie," Mal frustrates. "Empty your pockets."
"M," she laughs.
"I said empty them," she quietly screeches. Evie takes the lip gloss and mascara from one pocket and the witch's glass from the other.
"What are you looking for?"
"She only says shit like that when she fasts," Mal seethes with wide eyes. "Your purse. What's in your purse?" Evie puts the items back into her pockets, before she shows Mal the inside of her purse. Mal pulls out a large zip-lock bag full of half-chewed food, "The hell, Eves? Are you that eager to see the underworld?"
"I had to have gained ten pounds this week," Evie defends.
"E," Mal grits her teeth. "You're seeing things."
She shakes her head, "I'm not crazy."
"No," Mal agrees, "but you have that diagnosis, right? When it comes to mirrors, you don't see what everyone else sees."
"I can feel it." Evie cries, "I'm heavier. I know I am."
"Eves," she tries to reason.
"I can feel the weight when I walk," she persists. "I know I gained, Mal."
"Maybe a pound or two," Mal accepts, "but not ten." She moves Evie's hair from her face and wipes the black tears away. "When was the last time you used Ben's scale?"
"I don't know," she whispers.
"Well, you need to," Mal commands. "Do it when we get home, okay?"
"Yeah." Evie nods, "Okay."
Mal takes a deep breath, "Where's Ben?"
"Chad's taking care of him," Doug notices.
Mal looks to where Ben stands with Chad and two other guys, "Ben will do anything Chad asks, right?"
"Not eat," Evie inputs.
"Then his mother," Mal proposes. "Ben will do it if his mother asks."
"Why would he eat, just because his mother asked?" Doug questions. Mal and Evie look at each other, and he puts up a hand as he shuts his eyes, "Wait. No. I got it."
"Really?" Evie doubts.
"Uh, huh," he nods.
"You good?" Mal questions.
He strains a smile, "Yep."
"I feel like I'm missing something," Lonnie inserts.
"I mean, I still have to ask him," Mal draws out, "but we think he has a thing for his mother."
"I know he does." Evie informs, "I told him I knew, and he told me not to tell you."
"Great," Mal scratches her forehead.
"I also told him I'm pretty sure you already know," she continues, "so all you have to do now is ask."
"Ask if he has a thing for his mother?" Lonnie questions.
Mal gives her a look, "Do I have to spell it out?"
"It's just," Lonnie unsurely explains, "to say that about someone—about a royal… What if it's not even true?"
"It's Ben," Ace walks up behind her, and she faces him. "It's true."
"And who the hell are you?" Mal gapes at the platinum blond guy.
He smiles at her, "You must be the fairy dragon."
"This is Ace," Lonnie hurriedly introduces.
"And what does Ace know about Ben?" Mal angers.
He smirks, "More than you would think." Mal's eyes glow, and he informs, "I know the Van Dykes." Her eyes fade back to jade, as she cautiously eyes over him. "I knew it. Your mother told you that the Van Dykes raised her." He grins, "You can't hurt me."
"My mother told me to respect the Van Dykes," Mal corrects. "She never said anything about… who are you?"
When Ace opens his mouth, Lonnie stresses, "He's no one." before turning towards him. "In war, we don't pick fights. We fight the ones that are handed to us."
He stares into Mal's eyes, "If my father had it his way, I'd be king. Ben's lucky I'm letting him keep his title until he dies."
"Is that a threat?" Doug steps forward.
"It's an observation," he looks at him. "Ben's been in the hospital half his life, due to various medical conditions. He's not going to last very long."
"If Ben does die," Mal's eyes widen, "Chad's getting the crown."
Ace nods, "It's probably best that Ben thinks that." before he smiles at her. "What he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?" He turns, "Come on, Lonnie. It's time to go."
Lonnie sighs as she sees him walk away, and Mal uneasily laughs, "Lonnie. Tell me right now: who is he?"
She faces her with a frown, "He's Ben's cousin." and Mal's expression falters.
"Ben doesn't have a cousin," Doug disagrees.
"He has photos. Old ones, black-and-white." She looks at Mal again, "It's real. He's not making this up." Mal's eyes lower, and Lonnie reassures, "But he doesn't want to be king. His father just wants him to be, but he's putting it off as much as he can."
Mal shakes his head, "We have to tell Ben."
"No." Evie evaluates, "Ben has too much stress already. We can't tell him."
"I hate to say it," Doug readjusts his glasses, "but she's right."
"We can't just do nothing," Mal firmly replies.
"I'll let you know if there's anything new. Okay?" Lonnie negotiates.
Mal looks at her for a long moment, "Okay."