Long Lost | Once Upon a Time (EDITING)

I. The Heart of the Truest Believer

Footsteps filled the air as they stomped through the forest floor. Any twigs and leaves in their path were sufficiently crushed as the weight of five people trampled over them. It was a quiet night on the island, though no night on Neverland could ever be considered peaceful. The air around them all was tense, no one daring to say a word as they instead followed their leader through the overgrown jungle. Captain Hook swung rapidly at the protruding shrubs, his sharp cutlass slicing through any branches in his path. Where they were headed was a place that would give them a clear view of the rest of the island, a ridge overlooking the Dark Jungle. However, it was unknown to them all that they would never make it there.

They had just stepped off the path when it happened. Within seconds, the group heard the undeniable sound of a revolver being cocked. While the rest stood frozen in place, Emma was quick to react. The moment she laid eyes on the gun, she moved to reach for her cutlass, only to find another sword pointed directly at her exposed neck. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." A cunning voice filled the wooded area, all eyes directed at the girl as they looked to her in alarm. The group was shocked to find that the owner of the firearm had been a mere teenager. Just one look from her told them exactly what they needed to know. She wasn't the enemy here - she was just another survivor.

Everyone stood there, trapped. If anyone dared to move toward her, she would undoubtedly hurt Emma or shoot one of them, depending on who made the first move. Though intimidated by the blade held to her throat, the blonde was able to get a good look at their attacker. She appeared to be in her mid to late teens, though due to Neverland's lack of a perception of time, there was no telling what the girl's actual age was. Her hair was a light caramel brown that cascaded down her shoulders in waves. She kept it away from her face with the dirty red bandana tied around her forehead, though a few strands had escaped the garment and hung down, framing her face. The girl's bright emerald green eyes stared dully at the group in front of her, though even in the faint moonlight, they could all see the glint of mischief within them.

While the group was caught off guard by her appearance, Hook couldn't help but stare at her with a look of grief and reminiscence. Truth be told, this was not the first time he had laid eyes on the girl, and up until that point in time, he never thought he would again. But there he was and there she was, both in Neverland, the exact same place they had seen each other last. Emma gazed back down at the blade held firmly within the girl's ringed hand. She shied away from the sight of it, only then realizing that she had been backed into a tree. There would be no way out of this by herself, not unless their attacker were to change her mind and lower the weapon or be taken down by someone else within the group. Though seeing the high risk to the given situation, no one dared to do anything.

"Make any moves and I slit her throat." While most of them were reluctant to move due to her incredible speed alone, some appeared skeptical of how far she was really willing to go.

One of those doubtful gazes belonged to Hook, him immediately narrowing his eyes at the sight of the girl's weapon. Without any warning, the man swung his hand up towards the firearm, displeased with the threat that remained eminent in the air. "Bloody hell, put the gun down!" He shouted sternly, a side most had yet to see from the pirate. Though it shocked the others to see how Hook handled the situation, it certainly didn't surprise the girl. "You're not fooling anyone; you ran out of ammo over a decade ago."

The teen in question swiftly turned in the man's direction, annoyance crossing her features. "They don't know that." She retorted as she narrowed her eyes into his own. It was clear that she held more disdain for the pirate than him simply calling her out on her bluff. What was also clear was that Hook had known the girl, just as she knew him. To the others, it sounded as if he spoke to her in a way that exerted reproach - in a way that a parent would when scolding their child.