A/N: Hello! Before we start the story, I will have to clear some things up.

-This story is divided into 2 Stages/Arcs, where the first takes place in the Isle of the Lost (Past), while the second in Auradon (Present). As such, the first chapters will contain mostly events that happened on the past when the VKs still lived on the Isle. We will of course be shifting to events in Auradon, too.

-Ships. For this story, we will have the usual Mal/Ben (Bal), Evie/Doug (Dovie), Carlos/Jane (Jarlos) and Jay/Lonnie (Jannie). However, during the first part and certain events in the second, there will be mentions/moments of Mal/Carlos (Marlos).

Without further ado, let us start this story:

Wicked:

Rotten to the Core

Summary: They are Rotten to the Core, yet, what made them that way? We know of their lives in Auradon, but how was it back on the Isle? Back on the times when the Vks were really kids?


Prologue (Wicked: Rotten to the Core)

Isle of the Lost

Bargain Castle

The brat was still trying to create the perfect background of her "Long Live Evil" graffiti paint.

Today was rather fun, to say the least. The brat provided me with quiet the show, even if I had to banish the E.Q for not inviting her to Evie's birthday party. Oh, the wicked things she could have done!

Well, you can't always have all the fun it seems. Huh, the brat will be gone tomorrow morning to 'school'. If the brat doesn't bring back a wickedness trophy, the couch can be oh so friendly.

"Mother!" the brat calls. Raising my head to look at her, she looks... happy. Gross! "I did it!"

The brat sure did have talent, and the painting was... wicked. She had done such a good job with the cloak and the horns.

"What do you think?" that child's voice said again.

"Meh, could use a bit more green." her face twisted to sadness, so gross yet entertaining to see. Turning to look out of the castle, something catches my interest.

"Wouldn't beating up that kid be fun?"

The brat followed my eyes, and frowned.

"I don' wanna!"

Such foolishness! Looking straight at her eyes, the brat struggles to keep them fixed on my shinning green eyes.

"Fine!" she mutters, blinking away from my sight.

"That's my wicked Mal!"


Hell Hall

"Carlos!" Mother calls again. "Where is my favorite coat?!"

"I-I am still w-w-washing it!" I replied and swallowed.

"What?!" Mother screamed. I knew what was coming at me, so I moved my hands faster. The coat had been coated by blood at the ends, courtesy of two fighting kids.

"You have been at it for one hour!" she yelled again, and I could feel heavy footsteps coming my way.

"B-but it takes at least four hours to remove blood!" I yelled back, more to make sure she heard me, than out of anger.

"I want it clean in the next 30 minutes!" Cruella De Vil pushed the door to the room forcefully. That would be one more door to fix. "Or I will feed you to the dogs!"

Oh no! Not the dogs! They are going to pull out my throat and rip me to shreds!

"Yes mother!" I say, as she storms out of the room again. Looking out of the window and straight to the broken bridge, I sigh. "Must be nice at Auradon." I mutter as I continue to clean the coat.

My arms hurt and I was cold. So cold... both inside and out. I bet those at Auradon would never believe a six year old is put through such labor.


Jafar's Junk Shop

"What did you get me today?" Father said, rubbing his hands. "Anything interesting?"

"Well," I start, emptying my pockets from every little thing I had managed to steal. "I got these things."

Father frowned, looking disappointed at the junks before him.

"Useless!" He yelled, expecting me to pull out a genie's lamp out of nowhere. "I-I did find this too..." I hand him a lamp, and he quickly goes to rub it.

"Gah! It doesn't work!" Jafar yells, irritated. "Curse you, Aladdin!"

Iago flies above our heads, usually meaning that there are good things to steal walking the roads.

"Go on, Jay." Jafar says. "Remind me why I'm still keeping you."

"But, father..." I start to say, and he glares at me. "I'm hungry."

"Go!" was his final decision. "Or stay hungry for the entire week!"

I slowly walk to the door, dragging my tired feet behind myself.

"Faster!"


Castle Across the Way

"Oh my! You are now 6, closer to the day you will be bringing a prince home!" Mother said, and I could almost imagine hearts in her eyes. Hearts filled with poison...

"Yes!" I reply, trying to assure her that I was on the same mind as her. Finding a prince... as if. There was noway we were ever going to get out of this hell.

"Here, I made this apple just for you." Mother says, handing me an apple as red as blood. Feeling my stomach groan, I happily opened my mouth to take a bite. At that same moment, my mother had gone to a nearby mirror to look at her 'beautiful' face. "Be careful though, it could be poisoned." she said, making me throw the apple immediately.

To be expected... from the Evil Queen.

"No frowns, now." Mother said. "It will ruin your already ugly face. Go to your room now."

Turning my back to her, I ran up the stairs.

Be the perfect princess! Bring home a prince! Be beautiful! Become a Queen! What do these even mean?!

Sometimes, I wonder if she ever views me as just... Evie.


With hands in pockets, Mal strolled towards the lone kid that was crying, curled into a ball beside the trash can. The kid noticed her and started crying harder.

Carlos breathed heavily, as his body felt numb. The coat was still unclean, but he could not move. Closing his eyes, he wanted to sleep, and hopefully never wake up again. My mother's footsteps could be heard, as she was coming for me.

Jay closed the door behind him and looked at the caravan passing by the street. With slow steps, more from tiredness than caution, the boy used his normal way of stealing. But, what if he hid in the caravan and went somewhere far from father?

Evie closed the door behind her, looking around the room. All the mirrors that started back at her were all so unfamiliar, even if she had been living here for six years.

In tune with each-other, a melody starts in their mind.

Jay:

They send me away to find them a fortune
A chest filled with diamonds and gold
The house was awake
With shadows and monsters
The hallways they echoed and groaned

Carlos:

And I sat alone,
in bed till the morning
And crying "they're coming for me"
And I tried to hold these secrets inside me
My mind's like a deadly disease

All:

I'm bigger than my body
I'm colder than this home
I'm meaner than my demons
I'm bigger than these bones

Mal:

And all the kids cried out
"Please, stop, you're scaring me"
I can't help this awful energy
Goddamn right, you should be scared of me
Who is in control?

Evie:

I paced around for hours, I'm empty
I jumped at the slightest of sounds
And I couldn't stand the person inside me
I turned all the mirrors around

All:

I'm bigger than my body
I'm colder than this home
I'm meaner than my demons
I'm bigger than these bones