Those Who Are Lost

Disclaimer: I don't own Descendants.

I wonder if I should put a warning up here… this is your WARNING: This is not a happy chapter.

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait I've been replaying the Kingdom Hearts series to get ready for KH3's release in January and silly me I thought I posted chapter 8 which has been written for the last two months already well at least chapter 9 is ready for next week's update now.

Also, I went back and fixed some typos from previous chapters I noticed as well as added on a bit to the first scene from chapter five if you wanna re-read it (it's nothing that can't be skipped though so don't worry if you don't wanna read it) anyway onto the story…

Chapter 8: The Isle of the Lost: Jane's Fourth Year (Too Nice)

Four years had passed, and Jane didn't think about how much time it had been since she'd come to the Isle any longer. Jane didn't think of Auradon much let alone the people living there, her mother included.

Jane was an Isle girl now.

As such she wasn't nice, not surprising seeing as she regularly tortures people for Maleficent and has for years now. The sound of bones snapping still bugs her so if she can avoid it she burns them, burning fleshing isn't so bad… she has many burns of her own, her wrists and her back have the scars to prove it.

Rarely does she get new ones anymore unless Maleficent is in a particularly bad mood and even then, she'd rather have Jane burn others than herself so that's a good thing… or is it a bad thing?

Jane wasn't sure she knew but if it kept her from feeling the flames then it couldn't be too bad.

Maleficent seems to enjoy fire magic the most, that's probably why it's some of the half-fairy's strongest magic. That, of course, is a problem in and of itself because fire won't bring down the barrier.

Sometimes the dark fairy makes her practice breaking things; glass, stone, and bones. The sound of things breaking bothers her and makes her magic not as effective.

Luckily the evil fairy thinks she just needs more practice with it, so practice she does.

Because Jane like the not so good girl that she is doesn't argue.

That's why one day when it's just Jane and Carlos hanging out- which never happens very often. She notices something that the villainous girl knew but never thought too much on before now.

Carlos stole like they did but only when he was hungry, or they asked him to help them, he played non-malicious pranks but only if the group was pulling pranks too… he was a follower like her, but he was nothing like her.

"There I think that'll hold for a bit." The old man doesn't thank him, but Carlos just grins and bounces back over to where she was standing since he decided to help splint the old man's arm.

He helped people when he could… if he could. He wasn't bad or evil or even just mean.

He was good.

Why was this such a shocking thought even Gil could be kind but maybe that's because he lacked the brain power to be bad without someone telling him to be?

Still, Carlos didn't belong here.

Because it was official, Carlos was nothing like anyone else she knew, of course, Jane knew it long before now, but now she was going to actually say it aloud because she needed to.

"You're too nice for the Isle." Carlos stops whatever he was talking about that she hadn't been listening to and blinks as if stunned before saying, "So are you…" Jane smiles slightly, "No… I'm not," Carlos nearly protests but she changes the direction of the conversation, "You know most people here would be insulted at being called nice, it's a good thing meaning that it's a bad thing to be."

He just shrugs it off and grins at her, "Well don't tell anyone or you'll ruin my reputation." He jokes.

Jane didn't need to tell anyone, she was sure that everyone knew.

Carlos was different.

But Jane was more than okay with that.

"Okay everyone gather around!" Evie motions for the group to gather at the table-like thing set up inside of Carlos' treehouse where the five of them are currently residing.

"What do you want now?" Mal asks moodily only to be for the most part ignored as she takes a seat next to a bouncing in place Carlos who asks excitedly, "So you finished them?"

"Yes, I did." Evie smiles brilliantly at him and Jane feels momentarily angry at how happy she is, the princess is horrible with hiding her emotions thus her smile must be real, and Jane inwardly admits to being jealous of that happiness but hides it well enough to ask, "You mean those drawings you were doing?"

Every time they saw her lately she was sketching something or rather more than one thing if the amount of paper was anything to go by.

"What did you draw?" Jay asks and instead of answering she shows them by spreading the papers around so that they can all see them.

"Are these drawings of clothes?" Jane's the first to ask and that's all it takes for Evie to explain to them.

"Yes, I designed them with all of you in mind, I mean I can always change some things if you really want me to, but I think each one has the personality of the one I was thinking of in mind." Carlos picks his up first and looks it over, "Cool so your actually gonna make this?" She nods, "Sweet!" Jay shouts and snatches up his design, "Can mine lose the sleeves?" Evie blinks at him questionably before he flexes his growing muscles showing off, Mal rolls her eyes and the blue-haired princess giggles.

"Sure, I can do that." Then she turns to Mal, "What about you anything you want to change Mal?"

For a moment she says nothing before getting up and walking over to the stairs leading to the exit of the treehouse, "You can keep it I don't need new clothes." Then she proceeds to climb down the stairs as the other girl looks down sadly.

Jane decides to speak up then, "For Mal that was a pretty tame response I think you're growing on her."

None of them seem to believe the brunette so she speaks up again after picking up the drawing meant for her, "So this one is mine, right?" Evie nods and looks as if she's waiting for the other girl to tell her she has no plans to wear it either.

"It's not colored like everyone else's."

"Oh well you don't really wear a particular color and you've said you don't have any parents so um… I was going to ask you do you maybe have a favorite color?"

Did she? No Jane just wore whatever usually Mal's hand me downs because she was younger, it wasn't really her style before but now she didn't really have one or recall her style from before.

"I never really thought about it." The other girl nods, "Well there's no rush-"

"What about green?" Carlos asks while pointing to her wrist, "I've never seen you without that green bracelet before, so you like it right?"

Jane's eyes find her wrist where her emerald beaded bracelet rested, he was right she never took them off. Mal got it for her as a birthday gift, the only one she's had since her arrival on the Isle. Jane never thought much about the color, but green was as good as any and the beads helped her hide her brunt wrist pretty well when she didn't wear long sleeves.

"Yeah, I like it." Evie smiles and claps, "Okay I'll use that as a starting point and see what goes good with that, I'm sure you'll look great."

The younger girl just nods at the more fashion-conscious girl's enthusiasm.

The rest of the day is spent chilling at Carlos' treehouse and talking about fashion when eventually leads to hair talk and that in turn leads to the girl's discovery of Curl Up & Dye with Mal a few days later.

Mal decides to get her hair styled with the girls but the subject of wearing the clothes that Evie plans to make is not brought up.

Today wasn't a usual day by any means because even though Mal had just left Jane with Jay while she went to get what was needed to patch up Jay that was normal. At least once a month either Jay or Carlos would need it.

Luckily since Carlos joined none of Jane's own punishments or training lessons got so bad as to need someone else to help her. Evie, on the other hand, had yet to be around while this went on, so she was still blissfully unaware of the other children's parent's cruelty.

The Evil Queen would never raise a hand to her daughter, damaging her skin was just not something she could or would do. That didn't make her a good parent by any means as what she was doing to her own daughter mentally wasn't healthy from what Jane could see.

Still, if she wanted to talk about emotional abuse none could tough what Maleficent did to Mal, though maybe it's just because Jane was around to witness that abuse. The evil fairy hardly struck out at Mal, a bit of rough handling here or there a smack to the face but Mal was closer to Evie when it came down to it.

Jane was like Carlos and Jay well it was hard to say how much emotional damage the once genie did because it's hard to get past Jay's walls. The physical evidence and the default attitude probably meant he was closer to them though.

The girl's sky-blue eyes watched his limp form and wondered why she was even contemplation this stuff to begin with. Jane hated thinking about it, so why was she?

Suddenly a cough reaches her ears, "Oh you're awake? Don't move Mal went to get some things to fix you up."

The coughing stops after a moment, "He got you good this time…" Jane sighs.

If only her magic could heal… but there's no books about healing on the Isle though.

Not that her magic would probably be capable of good at this point even if she tired.

"Do you hate her?"

Jane is startled for a minute, what was he talking about? She decides to take a guess.

"Maleficent?" He nods before grimacing at the pain the movement caused him. Jane thinks about the question seriously, her default answer should be something along the lines of, 'yes' but was that the truth?

Another moment of soul searching gives her the answer she's looking for, "No one's ever asked me that before… have you ever tired hating someone you live with? It's tiring. No, I don't hate her… I don't like her and… she scares me most of the time but…"

Her voice trails off and for a minute she thinks he's passed back out again.

"But what?"

Jane is suddenly uncomfortable and wondering why she's opening up to him, maybe because he's in such a state and probably won't recall anything they talk about… and maybe just maybe she wants to talk about it.

"She once told me… she's the closest thing I've got to a mother… and in a way she's right." The brunette looks down at her hands, "She's an awful mother, seeing her with Mal would tell anyone that but… it's either her or living on the streets which she wouldn't allow I know because I've tried… it's not because she cares about what happens to me but because I'm useful… or I will be someday, in a way it's like Mal… so yeah she's not wrong in her thinking."

They don't say anything, what more is there to say on the subject.

Not long after Mal arrives and Jane follows her instructions where she can, and the two girls fix up Jay, at least as much as they can on the outside. Inside Jane knows it's a whole other subject, no one will probably ever be able to heal him in there.

The next time Jay sees Evie he plays off his wounds and despite her worry, she believes his pretty lies which has Mal roll her eyes and Carlos go quiet and then the group moves on with their lives as much as they can until the next thing event that comes along for them to face separately and together.

Together the group is mostly content and even sometimes happy but separately their issues are taring each of them apart, but they rarely share that with one another.

It's a weakness to do so that's what they're taught.

And some things are just too painful to share.

So, some things they never share, sure they have ideas and hear rumors but none of them really knows everything.

Everyone knows Jay steals for his dad, some know that his dad has a temper that he unleashes on his son. No one knows that Jay saw his father beat his mother to death when he was four and has built a wall and mask to hide his true emotions ever since. If he lets someone in they might die too, his father might kill them.

Everyone knows Evie is overprotected, some know the things her own mother feeds her about her own self-worth and how she's nothing more than a pretty face. What no one knows that in a desperate bid to be free that Evie had prepared some poison for herself before deciding to take one last trip outside; where she met Carlos and who changed her mind.

Carlos is his mother's personal slave it's pretty much a fact that everyone knows, some people know she's crazy, but most don't understand how deep her insanity goes and no one but Carlos has witnessed just how insane she truly is. Carlos' biggest fear isn't dogs he's afraid that his mother's insanity is inside him too, but he'll never tell anyone because other people knowing is also a fear of his.

Mal is Maleficent's daughter what else do people need to know really, she's just like her mother well that's what people see and believe but the truth of the matter is Maleficent's goal outside of being free from the Isle is to make Mal into her and some people including Mal understand this. What no one knows is that Mal doesn't know who she is if she isn't her mother.

Jane is an unknown to most but nearly everyone knows Maleficent has a magical pawn willing and able to hurt whoever she wants to hurt. Mal is the only one who's seen what her mother makes Jane do aside from those who have been tortured themselves but no one aside from Jane and the evil fairy herself know that more than once a burn got infected and a bone punctured something it shouldn't have… only they know that her magic had led some to death… that she's killed. Jane knows she's not good, not nice… she's a monster and only Jane understands that.

Evie had just finished up all of the group's outfits well aside from Mal who still didn't want one and was happily wearing her own new dress that she had designed and sewn. Cooking, cleaning, sewing all the things a good wife and future queen should know how to do.

For now, though her thoughts were on her friends, so the princess carefully bags up the clothes and sneaks out at the first opportunity later that day.

First stop is Carlos' house and that goes about as well as can be expected with the two running away from his screaming mother.

"That was… unpleasant." Evie says after she catches her breathe, "Yeah…" Carlos laughs dully, "So why did you come and risk my mom's wrath for anyway?"

"This!" She holds out her bag and he looks at it, "Uhm…?"

"Oh right," she looks around for a place to sit down and when she does Carlos follows and they both are seated as she rummages through her bag and pulls out the clothes she was looking for, "here these are yours." He takes them gently, "Wow, thanks."

"Well try them on?" The girl says, and he looks around, "Here?"

"Oh, um okay let's find somewhere for you to change… I guess your house isn't an option is it?" She enquires, and he quickly shakes his head, "Not a chance."

Eventually, they both decide to go to Jay's and give him his outfit and have Carlos change there before going to see Mal and Jane.

Jay is thrilled at his new outfit and Evie smiles seeing both of the boys in the clothes that she made for them. Shortly after they make their way to Maleficent's lair-like house.

Once there they hear screams that startle them but none so more than Evie who rushes inside, "Wait!" Jay shouts and looks torn on if he should go after her or not but seeing Carlos go after her leaves him no other choice.

He just knows he'll regret this.

The three dash down the halls and past an alarmed Mal who calls out to them, "Stop! Where are you going?"

"Damn it!" Mal yells before giving chase and trying to stop them before they reach the torture chamber.

She doesn't succeed though and Evie bursts in through the already open door with Carlos right behind her and the two freeze at the sight before them.

A young man dangling in the air above a fire whose arm is bent in an angle that is obviously broken and who legs are already burnt pretty badly despite being just outside the flames reach but that's not all.

Maleficent is perched in the corner with some crackers and a drink watching while Jane is in the center of the room.

Jane is the one torturing the man.

Her back is to them so she's unaware that they are in the room but Maleficent is not and she smirks before clapping her hands once to signal to Jane to lower the man with reach of the flames again and the girl does, and the man screams as the smell of burning flesh becomes stronger and Evie thinks she's going to be sick.

Carlos, on the other hand, can't take it, he doesn't believe it and lets out a strangled sound just as Jay and Mal arrive.

Jane heard the noise and barely manages to hold her concentration enough to keep the man floating as she turns her head but that's when the concentration snaps at seeing her friend's faces, their expressions, the horror, disgust, the fear.

The man falls into the fire and screams as Maleficent laughs and the others scream as well but Jane panics and tries to put out the fire, but it doesn't work because she's distracted so instead she tries to pull him out of the fire only to burn her hands in the process before the only one still thinking straight steps in.

Mal grabs the bucket of water that's always kept in the corner of the room for an emergency and pours it on the burning man and Jane's hands before dropping the bucket and pulling Jane away as the man lays on the floor burnt and sobbing.

Jane stares at the man and does her best not to shake or look over her shoulders at her friends.

The only other sound is Maleficent's laughter.

It's been a long time since Jane has been afraid but now she is, her friends are villains but she's the monster among them. And now they know it…

Mal is beside her because she's the one who told Jane to give in years ago and do what she had to do, rarely did the purple haired girl witness this much, it was usually only the screams.

She was the one there for Jane when she was hurt for defying her mother, the one who was there for her when she gave in and tortured someone for the first time, was there when she broke down because of it and was unknowingly there when she broke down because her actions killed someone.

Mal was far from perfect but she was there.

And she was still beside her even as Jane heard the footsteps behind her flee.

"Come on… let me take care of your hands."

Jane followed her numbly and let her do just that, all the while she didn't feel a thing.

The panic was gone. It had been extinguished with the flames.

Later that night she couldn't sleep but she laid in bed anyway and Mal was curled up right beside her as if to comfort here.

She didn't deserve comfort.

But the part of her that wasn't so numb anymore appreciated the gesture.

The next few days were some of the worst Jane had ever had and that was saying something given the numerous bad days the girl has had in her short life.

Mal didn't leave her at first worried about her state of mind especially around her mother who thought the whole thing hilarious and kept bringing it up, mostly her friends shocked and horrified faces.

Eventually, though Mal had to go talk to them and try to get them to understand no the half-fairy would make them understand. The other girl was her sister and what she was doing might have terrified Mal as well, but it wasn't her fault and she would make them see that.

Unfortunately, Evie was inside her castle and Jay nowhere to be found and Carlos was at home clearing his mother's furs so Mal had to wait for another chance to talk to them.

A similar pattern happened two more times and before they knew it nearly two weeks had passed this way.

By this point Mal knew they were avoiding her and Jane was there but at the same time, she wasn't. She was more closed off than the green-eyed girl thought possible.

It was Mal's job to fix this.

First, she just had to find out how.

It was a few days later when a frustrated Mal came home to find an equally frustrated mother, "Mal you talk some sense into that girl upstairs!" She all but shouts and suddenly Mal is scared.

"Why… what did she do?"

"The ungrateful brat refused to do as I told her!" The dark fairy fumed.

There were only two things Maleficent ever told the other half-fairy to do, one was practice magic and the other was to use it on others.

"I'll go see her now." Mal does her best not to run up the stairs and act calm, while she's sure her mother knows she cares about Jane the pre-teen knows she has to be careful not to give away how much because then her mother has something to use against her, against them.

Upstairs she finds a sight she's not seen in a very long time.

"Jane you promised!" She rushes to the girl's side and starts to peel off the brunt top as carefully as possible and the other girl did her best to hold back her cries.

"Look at you… it was just your left shoulder area before but now your whole back will be scared… idiot why didn't you listen to her."

"I-I couldn't… I c-can't." Mal barely heard the whisper, "You promised you would though…"

Mal knew it was wrong to use that but she had to get things back to normal because really the girl couldn't take any more of her mother's punishments.

"…I-I'm sorry." It was even harder to hear than before.

"I think we have a bit more burn paste in my dresser I'll go get and some water you just try to sleep."

Maybe she had some painkillers too but that wasn't likely, Jay could probably get them… if he wasn't avoiding her. Suddenly she's beyond mad and wants to punch someone but settles for the wall inside because it was there.

She keeps at it until her knuckles are bleeding and then she quickly gets her emotions under control cleans the blood off of her hand and wraps it so as not to get any of her own blood into Jane's wounds.

After that, she gets the water finds the burn cream right where she left it and sadly there's very little left she realizes.

That night she does he best to keep the other girl from getting an infection and bring down her fever.

Mal doesn't sleep a wink for the next forty-eight hours.

So, when she is sure that the girl can be left alone for a bit the extremely exhausted and all-around pissed off fairy tracks down Jay and this time she's not letting him get away from her.

He tries at first when he catches a glimpse of her but she's way too angry and sleep deprived to let him have his way and, in the end, corners him.

"Mal? What happened you look awful…" Jay says once he finally gets a look at her, "Screw you too, I need burn cream and a lot of it asap as of yesterday so why are you still standing here?"

He looks uncomfortable for a moment before speaking, "I don't think it'll help that guy at this point…"

Mal looks confused before letting out a huff, "You're right dead people don't need things." He twitched a bit at confirming his suspicions, but she continued, "I need it for Jane so cough it up."

"For… Jane?" He looked confused and then worried, "Right… I'll get some."

Mal nodded before turning to leave, "Wait… what about the cream?"

"I don't suppose you have it on you now?" He shakes his head, "Then I need to get back to Jane, bring it over when you get it." She doesn't wait for his reply.

Mal is more than half asleep when Jane wakes but she bolts right up when she feels the girl shift.

"You're awake that's good… I'll have some more burn cream soon so-" Jane stops her by simply saying, "I don't need it…"

"Tell that to your back…" Mal scoffs but the girl slowly sits up but is stopped, "Lay back down right now do you have any idea how bad you look?"

"…As bad as you?" She replies, "I'm not joking!"

"Neither am I… you need to sleep." Jane's voice lacked any emotion but from the words, Mal could tell she was worried now if only she could use some of that on herself.

"I will when you lay back down." The brunette listens, "Now when my mom makes you make it up to her in a few days' time you-"

"I can't…" Was this similar to the conversation years earlier does she need to try and guilt trip her, Mal would do it if that's what it took.

"Yes, you can!" The green-eyed girl countered.

"No-"

"Yes!" Mal wouldn't let her win this battle it was too important.

"You don't understand!" Jane exclaims with her emotion finally pouring through after weeks of closing it off and as a result, her sky-blue eyes fill up with tears.

"I do too if you don't do what she says she'll go overboard and accidentally kill you!" There the other girl said it what she feared since the first time Jane refused her mother, Maleficent's temper was not something to play with and even though she knew her mom didn't want to kill the girl because she was useful she might kill her in a fit of rage.

"…I know." Her voice was soft as if she was giving up but Mal had no plans to let that happen.

"So, then you know you have to-" Jane shook her head before looking straight into tired green eyes and explaining, "I… can't use magic anymore."

"You what?"

This wasn't what she expected to hear.

"…I've tried but it's not working… I can't so much as levitate a pencil." Mal was frightened.

What did this mean… "Since when?"

Mal's throat felt dry and she was lightheaded.

"…After he fell I tried to lift him back up, but I couldn't concentrate…"

Mal knew this she was there, "So then you haven't been able to concentrate since then?"

"I have… I cleared my mind… took deep breathes and everything… it's just gone." Jane did her best to explain after all the other girl read all of her theory and magic books to even if she couldn't use her own magic Mal was competitive enough to not want to be behind on the knowledge part as well.

Mal thought for a moment before finally coming to a conclusion, "No… I don't think it is."

"What do you mean?" Jane questions, "You said you cleared your mind, but your emotions are clouded, aren't they?"

Jane couldn't deny that but there was a problem with her theory, "My magic isn't emotion-based though."

"Who said?" Mal demanded.

"I… I have to stop feeling to do what Maleficent wants so it can't be." The girl shakes her head, "You don't stop feeling things you just push them to the back of your mind, I'll bet there's something that you feel when you use fire."

Jane draws a blank so Mal continues, "What about when you break something? Feel anything then?"

It reminds her of Carlos' arm breaking a sound she hated, "…I don't like it."

"Dislike is a feeling… I didn't say your magic used positive feelings." Mal pointed out.

"…Then why can't I use it now… I'm not feeling positive at all." That was an understatement.

"I don't know everything or anything really when it comes to this emotional stuff but if it's your emotions blocking your magic then it's through them that you can use it again."

Jane sighs and Mal crawls into bed beside her, "Let's sleep on it?"

Closing her eyes in agreement she eventually drifts off.

Later her ears pick up familiar voices speaking in hushed tones, but she can't pinpoint whose voices until Jane's consciousness becomes more aware and once it does she sits up too fast resulting in crying out from the pain. Right her back is burnt badly… she should remember that in the future her mind tells her before it also realizes that the voices stopped.

"Why are you sitting up?"

She tempted to tell Mal she needs another bathroom break just to annoy her but suddenly her eyes catch another person, it's Jay?

Why is he here?

Oh, the burn cream Mal mentioned that must be it she thinks before carefully covering back up, so she doesn't have to see him.

Jane wants to forget but then a new voice speaks out, "Jane?"

Carlos?

Why is he here? He looked terrified of her… he can't be here.

She doesn't move or say anything, staying under the covers while slightly painful sounded like the best choice right now. "Jane you're going to aggravate the burns that way," Jay tells her, and she briefly wonders why he cares.

"Jane… I brought you something." Evie too?

She didn't want to see them.

They would look at her as if she was a monster… she was a monster, but Jane didn't want them to look at her like one.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she stubbornly remained under the covers until a familiar hand came underneath and lifted them off of her head and back and due to her position and lack of strength in her grip at the moment she couldn't stop him.

"…Jane?" Carlos asked again, it was true she scared him the other day but seeing her hurt like this with her back covered in burns and some were old… he had to say something, but he wasn't good with words so for a minute he didn't say anything.

In the meantime, the girl took comfort in the fact that while she was on her stomach her face could remain in the pillow if she wanted it to well for a bit and then, unfortunately, she would have to breathe but maybe he'd leave before then… she didn't want to see his face and see that expression again.

It hurt.

They weren't supposed to know.

"I'm sorry… I was scared but I know that's not you I mean yeah it was… you but man I'm so bad at this! A little help guys?" He glances at the others and Mal motions for him to continue and he sighs, "I-I know you didn't want to, I do and if this is what happens when you don't then… I get it kinda… we all do in a way, it's not the same but… all of us has something we don't like about our lives, stuff we don't want to talk about. Right…?" He looks back at everyone again.

Jay nods, "Yeah despite Carlos' crappy speech skills he's got something right… we're all messed up in our own way. I've got daddy issues," Then he points at Carlos, "he's got mama ones," His tone was joking at those words but they all knew it was true even him as his voice takes a slightly less humorous one when he continues, "but that's why we all get each other, right?"

"Right!" A bubbly voice adds, and Jane recognizes it as Evie, she's trying too hard again and for some reason that makes Jane let out a halfhearted laugh but due to lack of oxygen her head as to turn and she catches sight of Carlos' eyes first but then the others were there too.

They're all here… they came back even though she's a monster…

With that thought, her tears start to flow freely and the sobs rack her small frame which in turn hurts her burns but all in all it's not a bad feeling.

So… review maybe? The next chapter isn't as much of a downer so look forward to it! Also, I introduced problems that the four Vks have that they haven't quite dealt with (for the most part) so expect those things to play into the story at some point because even though this is Jane centric the other four characters will have their own chapters eventually.