Mara was quite enthusiastic on this expedition to Neverland, the sight of the large island was exquisite, she pictured places, she had imaginations the island did not compare to her imaginations, but this was better.

She had dozens of questions swarming in her mind about this place, why does she needed a sword to fend for herself? Were the unknown inhabitants on the island were dangerous? The boat ride to the shore was quiet, she was seated beside the Captain at the front seat while two pirates were rowing them all to the shore and another two seated the back row.

When the boat reached the sandy shore, Hook was the first to get off, offered his hand for Mara to help her get off the boat. She moved forward, toward the jungle but stopped ten feet from it and gazed up at the unfamiliar tall trees.

"Alright, Mara" Hook stood at her side, "you only have one rule: do not wander off alone. If you do, and if we don't find you, then you're already dead"

Mara furrowed her brows as she glanced at the pirate.

When the Captain met her frowning gaze, he said, "Am I clear?"

She narrowed her eyes as she gazed forward at the jungle, "Yes, Captain" she grumbled.

"Let's move!" He ordered then took the lead into the jungle and drew his sword.

Mara didn't drew her weapon, she moved behind the captain as they entered the forest. Other than a sword she brought, but also a bag for souvenirs she can find and also carries her own canteen of water to keep her hydrated. The weather was neither cold or warm but in between. Yet, she could feel the sun rays warming her.

The jungle was odd, it was the first she ever saw, first she has ever been, some trees and plants she saw were the same ones she saw before but most of them she has never seen. Every peculiar plants she saw, she'd pick up and put it in her bag. She once heard one of the pirates whispering as they made fun of her but she did not mind the insults, she never minds them.

"So what are we looking for?" Mara asked Hook as she caught up to his side.

"A camp. But we must get to the ridge where we might able to see the camp" Hook sliced off the branch that stood their path, "we're almost there, just up ahead"

She wasn't yet exhausted nor thirst from hiking even when it's been nearly an hour since they left the cove. They reached the ridge, the height of it was quite deadly, but gazing from there, it's like they could see the entire island. Mara's breath was taken away when she first saw the view, but immediately felt an immense sickening in her stomach when she looked down over the edge and saw how far the ground was.

The view, there was something queer about it, the forest, the jungle, it's trees and everything, all of it look almost dark like they were all dying. As if a disease was taking the life out of every plant and trees.

"The trees," Mara said in bewilderment, "they look...dying and...sick"

"It's how they are, Mara" Captain Hook stated, he pulled his telescope, "They're not sick or dying, they're just dark and this whole jungle you're seeing right now is The Dark Jungle"

"Sounds like a really fun place to go to" Mara responded with sarcasm.

"It is, darling" Hook grinned before looking into his telescope to gaze at the Dark Jungle. "It is the last place in the world you want to be in"

Mara swallowed, nervousness began to build up in her but she wasn't afraid enough to back out. "You see what you're looking for?"

"Aye," He lowered his telescope, "it has to be right in the middle of it" clearly he wasn't happy.

"Is that bad?"

"No, I'm quite sure it's safe," Hook replied sarcastically as he winked at her. As he gazed back at the Dark Jungle, he said "This is your only chance to change your mind, darling. You can head back to the cove and wait at the boat if you want"

"Well, like you said--" she placed her hand on her hip with the other held the strap of her bag, "--I have a rule to obey: don't wander off alone or I'll die"

They turned back around and hiked down the ridge.

She wasn't sure what to expect, but the thought of possibility of getting killed made her apprehensive. Still, she wasn't scared enough to run back to the cove like a coward. Coward wasn't a quite fit to her suit at all, she was more of a daring person, even when it is too late to go back, she still moves forward and get it over with.

"Tell me about this place," she told Hook. "Is it normal? Is it special?"

"I wouldn't say it's special" he briefed, "Time stands still here"

"Time stands still?" Mara was confused for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"If you stay here, you never grow old"

Mara was astonished. She had seen a lot of great things, magic, even dark magic and everything in the Enchanted Forest but she had never heard of an island that keeps the time still. She was even more inquisitive about the island.

"Neverland" she whispered to herself, No wonder it's called Neverland, they never grow old.

She found it quite fascinating, but the thought of inhabitants being dangerous and a jungle that is dark made her tense. How does a beautiful place like this has a dark spot?

After an hour, they reached the Dark Jungle, Hook was obviously hesitant for a second when he entered the jungle. Mara was much hesitant as well before following the captain, that's when she finally drew her weapon as did the other pirates behind her.

While strolling through the dark jungle, it wasn't literally dark, but it felt cold. There wasn't any smell from the trees, dirt or plants, Mara found that odd because before they entered the dark jungle, she smelled a lot of nature but in here, she couldn't. There was something in the atmosphere that sent chills down to her spine, and something in their presence. As if they were being watched.

The further they went into the Dark Jungle, it got slightly dark, as if the sun had been shaded. Mara shuddered for no reason, it wasn't that cold at all. She heard the pirates behind her whispering and debating if they should go back.

"Killian," Mara uttered, the only time he calls him by his name is when she was serious and nervous "How much further?"

"It's a little far" He replied, there wasn't any sign of fear in his tone, but of course the Captain has been on this island before. He then stopped, "We'll take a break here for only a few moments, would be enough time to replenish"

Mara just realized that if Hook has been here before, he's still walking and breathing so that means she wouldn't worry about getting killed. The four pirates heaved sighs of relief after few hours of strolling and hiking almost non-stop. She sat down on a stone, the pirates took their small rests, taking drinks and have their snacks while Hook was looking around the area as if looking out.

She only took a few sips of her water before she spot something unusual behind the tree near her. A blue butterfly. She found it odd because how could a pretty butterfly was flying around in a dark jungle and not outside of it? The butterfly fluttered away over the bushes.

She was curious of course, with Hook and the others not watching her, she went to go follow the flying insect. It didn't flew far, she could still hear the pirates chatting when the butterfly made it's place on a lonely blue flower that looked like a rose. She has never seen a blue rose before. Just like the butterfly, why is a single rose like that made it's place in a dark place where the sun doesn't shine. How does it grow anyway?

She first thought of taking it, pluck it off the ground but when she thought of how long the rose stood there, has it been there for a long time? In Neverland, nothing grows, they just stop growing and nothing dies. It kind of made sense for Mara, if the blue rose has been there for a long time, maybe long before she was born, it felt wrong if she takes it so that's why she couldn't take it.

She sighed as she rose up, leaving the flower alone, she decided to head back before Hook noticed she was out of his sight.

She turned her heels, turned around, she only took a step when she found a boy standing in front of her. Her heart jumped as she yelped and jumped back but tripped over a root and fell back before she could draw her sword.

When she looked up, the boy was gone. Her little scream did caught the pirates' attention, they came running. Mara was still lying on the ground when they found her.

"What happened?" Hook questioned.

Mara was still stunned when she responded, "I--I saw a boy. He was just here a second ago but he's gone"

"What did he look like?" Hook gazed around the area.

"Like a boy" Mara helped herself to get back on her feet.

"Be specific," said Hook almost peevishly.

Mara thought of the boy, "Well, he was wearing the same wool and tunic like mine but his garbs were... dark green. Skin color like mine, and his hair was brown. He was a bit tall, almost like you... Why you asking anyway?"

"Because..." Hook put his sword into it's holster, "...He's the one we're looking for"

***