Scars Run Deep

***WARNING*** There is mention of torture and death in this story. If you can't handle it, then find another sandbox to play in. I add these elements because they help build towards a character arc, not because I enjoy them.

I don't own anything here, but I do enjoy playing in Disney's sandbox. Sometimes, the happiest place on earth covers a multitude of scars. Descendants allowed me to dig into the underbelly that Disney doesn't touch.

This is the longer story that was inspired by the plot bunny in my story, Scars Revealed. That scene won't come until later though, so take this as a spoiler alert! I play loose with the ages in this story, and have recast Jay's mom to fit my imagination. In my mind, Jay is the oldest, followed by Mal, Evie and Carlos. They are close enough in age to be in the same grade, but the age difference between Jay and Mal is touched upon more at the beginning. This is fan fiction, so playing with the character's and their backstory is the norm, not the exception. If you are looking for true cannon, then pop in your DVD of the original. I can't beat that.

Jay's point of view

A little girl huddled in the shadows in the corner of an alleyway. She had tears swimming in her eyes as she clutched her wrist to her chest, but those tears did not fall. I approached her with caution, wondering if there was anything I could do. I didn't usually help people, but something about this young purple haired girl tugged on my heartstrings.

"Jay," shouted a woman in a slightly panicked tone.

"Here mother," I called, looking down at the little girl.

"Jay," my mother exclaimed, "you only just turned five years old, and are still too young to run off without me."

"But mom," I complained, "dad lets me out by myself all the time."

"Then your father and I will be having words." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was not happy and that my dad was in trouble. This could be fun!

As mom grabbed my hand to drag me away, I pulled in the opposite direction. "Mom, you have to see what I found!"

"If it is another rotting animal then you will be grounded for a week." My mother allowed me to drag her until she saw the little girl huddled in the corner. She knelt down several feet away and began speaking softly. "Hello sweetheart, what is your name? Are you lost?"

The little girl looked up with indignation in her gaze. "I'm four years old, and I'm no sweetheart." Her flashing green eyes met my mothers and her purple hair seemed to pulse. "My name is Mal, and I will rule this Isle by the time I'm five."

My mother bit back a gasp, and then tried to hide her smile. "I believe you will have a bit of a battle with your mother for that position." I looked at my mother in confusion. Did she know this girl? "My name is Scheherazade. Why don't you come home with my son Jay and I so I can take a look at your wrist and feed you a meal?"

The girl, Mal, looked at my mom distrustfully, but there was longing in her eyes at the mention of food. She thought about it for a moment, then reached out her uninjured hand. I could see her frame as she stood up, and she looked like she couldn't be more than three. I exclaimed, "there's no way you're four years old, you're too small!"

"Jay!" My mother reproofed, "that is not nice."

"We live on the Isle of the Lost," Mal said, "being nice is a weakness." She looked me up and down before turning back to my mom and saying matter of factly, "I like him."

My mom rolled her eyes and said, "then you will get along well with Jafar." She threw up her hands and stalked away down the alleyway, clearly expecting us to follow. Which we did.

"Who is Jafar?" Mal asked me.

"My dad. He is training me to be a thief," I said proudly, and she looked impressed. "But don't tell my mom," I whispered.

"She seems nice," Mal said, although she looked confused. "Villains aren't supposed to be nice, and they don't care about their kids. Hitting and yelling are expected, feeding a strange child is not."

"Some of them care," I retorted. "Although I'll admit that my mom cares more than my dad, but he's never hurt me."

Mal looked dubious, but I could see the envy in her eyes. I wondered what her home life was like, and if her mother's treatment was the reason that she was so small. She clearly had an injured wrist, and I could hear her stomach growl. She tried to be tough, but it looked like she was so hungry she couldn't walk in a straight line. They say that extreme hunger can make you seem drunk. If her actions were anything to go by, she was hungry enough to rival Gaston when he got his hands on a case of alcohol. I reached out to steady her and she shot me a dirty look. "I'm a big girl, I can walk by myself."

I smirked at her, "sure you can," and I let go. She wobbled on her feet and almost fell. I stuck out my arm and she clung to it desperately. I knew that she didn't want to accept help, but she needed to be able to lean on someone. I suddenly had an idea that would allow me to help her while she kept her dignity. "If you are going to rule the Isle one day, then I will need to escort you like the princess you are." I stuck my arm out like the princes in my mom's stories, and she finally accepted the support.

"I suppose if you put it that way, I can accept your support of my quest to be the best." Her haughty tone made me smile, but I made sure she was in front of me when I did so. "And stop smiling," she said.

My jaw dropped; how did she know? I looked to the side and realized that there was an unbroken window in the storefront next to us and she could see my reflection. My eyes shifted back to her and I saw her smirk. She threw me off my guard and I felt a bit unbalanced. Mal clearly saw that I was weak and struck. "So, why is your mom so nice anyway?"

"She snuck on to the island because she loved my dad, not because she was a villain." I answered, still a bit in awe of her. I as suddenly struck with fear, realizing that I said too much. She saw the brief panic in my eyes and mimed locking her lips tight and throwing away the key. There was something about this girl that I trusted and, although I didn't know it then, that would never change.