The smell of smoke led them back to the side of the mountain that was still glowing green, as the flames burnt out. Still, it was clear there was more to be revealed, and the captain held his torch to the wall where he noticed the rock was slightly off. The green flame spread again forming lines making a trail that looped around and as more of the moss and vines burnt away, a hidden message was revealed in a luminescent glow.

"Woah… what language is this?"

"An ancient one, I could only roughly translate it... guiding lights and then it's the same insignia on the coin, of the skull".

"What does that mean, follow the lights to the gold".

"I think that's what it says… hang on there's a warning, a curse".

Captain Hook look concerned as the last image was haunting, a shadowy figure, one simple image that left him feeling cold.

"Of course, there is".

"Your familiar with this kind of dark magic"

"What, you don't know about the dark curse the Evil Queen tried to cast... honestly I don't see how this place can't get any worse".

"Well then, if your still game, there's a doorway here?"

"This is solid rock, Captain"? The princess remarked, looking at the mountainside not seeing even a crack that could be an opening.

"It's hidden, I'm just trying to figure out how to access it".

Hook looked towards Emma somewhat suspiciously, wondering what caused the sudden change in her tone. Earlier by the fire it seemed he had earnt her trust. Now they were back to being those two strangers, on the beach.

"We need to get in there, now".

"Slow and steady Princess"

"If their treasure is behind this wall, then it's the only way home, that is the plan… right?"

Captain Hook didn't answer the question, he could see fear in her eyes and anger in her tone, as if she'd already pictured him leaving her, and was prematurely punishing him for this predicted outcome. The Captain shook his head disappointed, but persisted as he usually did, focusing on the images on the cave wall, solving the puzzle in front of him was all he was ever good at. His hook softly grazed the rock, as he inspected it following along, making sure he didn't miss any details.

"I think I see something; these markings are incredibly intricate".

"Captain… I?"

"Trying to focus love".

"Right sorry, keeping quiet, it's just this insignia here seems to be around the wrong way" Emma said, lighting up the spot with her torch so he could see.

A smile appeared on his face as he then realised what he was missing, noticing a cog in the rock, it simply needed to be rotated around until all symbols where in alignment. Hook began turning the dials and the sound of rotating gears rumbled through from the other side of the cavern wall.

"What's happening?"

"It's a puzzle using these two dials, I need to get the images in the correct order".

"How can you even make sense of it"?

"I told you, I'm familiar with the tales of Neverland".

He continued to tinker with the puzzle rotating it back and forth, they had to be manoeuvred in just the right order. Slowly she could see progress as one by one, they locked into place.

"I think it's working". Emma said excited.

The Captain was right, once he completed the puzzle the gears started to turn which resulted in a doorway slowly opening along with a loud rumble that only grew in intensity. Just as a small gap appeared the gears abruptly stopped before a loud crumbling noise began, and the rocks fell rapidly.

"Quickly, before it completely caves in".

The captain called out to Emma, taking her hand, and pulling her into the small gap with him, both barely slid through the opening, before it caved in behind them.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

"I guess the pirates didn't plan for it to take this long, for someone to find the entrance".

"Or this is just a trap".

"Come on, have a little more faith".

"Faith… hope that's all I've had to go off my whole life, it's getting kind of tiresome, sometimes I just want a little more certainty".

Ahead there was a long dark tunnel, but there was a tiny speck of light in the distance they could walk towards. Emma began to breathe heavy wondering what she had got herself into, with no way back. Suddenly a green light appeared beside her, and she could see the Captains face as he lifted his torch, so she could see his smile.

"That's just it love, in truth the only thing you can be certain of, is hope itself, it's the only constant".

"You know I've heard many a hope speech before, that one wasn't bad".

"You're not the only one who has found themselves, in a tough spot".

Emma smiled, as his words eased her anxieties, she wasn't sure how, but he seemed so calm. Yet it was clear he was aware of the danger they could be in, as they walked through the narrow cave.

"Be careful, there'll be more to face ahead".

"You think there be traps and puzzles in here to?"

"I'm certain there will be".

"I thought, I'd be home by now".

"Sorry to disappoint"

"At least were making headway".

"I am developing a theory, I think the dust that came from the mountain, when you crushed the rock with your magic, used to have more of a presence on the island but something happened to it, that's what made the flames green, and the only way to see the clues is with this green light, maybe we are the first to see these caves in hundreds of years".

"Would explain why they used it to guide them, even other people got here they wouldn't know how to follow the trail"

"It's every Pirates dream to unearth such wonders".

The captain stroked his hand along the cavern wall admiring every aspect of the work that had been done, to carve the tunnel through the hard rock of the mountain.

"I'd thought you'd be more excited for the treasure".

"I like all the parts, the adventure, the excitement of finding a clue that leads to another, but also the treasure".

"I can't think of anything but getting home and what I'll find, once I get there".

"Come on, I'm sure your used to a little danger, princess? This should be nothing but a side quest for you".

"The feeling never fades, only builds".

"What feeling is that"?

Emma paused for a moment not sure if she wanted to give an honest answer, but here in the dark with the Captain she felt safe, ready to unleash all her anxieties.

"That I'll fail, that I'll lose them'.

"Aye, then we should move quickly".

Emma caught a glimpse of his eyes as he walked ahead, they seemed miles away lost in some dark moment and she knew then he understood exactly what she meant. She'd seen that look in the mirror and knew, he had lost someone very dear to him. However not wanting to pry the subject was dropped, they continued to walk in silence lost in their thoughts admiring the craftsmanship. Some areas of the cave wall becoming luminescent green as they made there way past, like guiding lights.

"Although eerie, this tunnel is beautiful" Emma said admiring it looking at the wall and not where her feet were stepping.

"Wait stop"!

Captain hook squinted seeing a slight green glow on the ground in front of them.

"What"?

Hook knelt down grabbing a rock from the floor and tossed it in front of them, a small stone tile the rock landed on crumbled away leaving a gaping hole. If the Princess had stepped there, she would have fallen to her death.

"What do we do now?" The princess asked.

"We can't turn back".

"No, we can't, but the ground before us is crumbling away, were stuck".

"Don't threat princess, it looks to be just another game".

As Captain Hook held his torch closer, he could see the ground in front of them, marked into individual squares all with a different image.

"You mean, they dug out a huge hole on purpose"?

"Without the green light from the torch you wouldn't see the trap falling to your death, I think they must have done this to weed out intruders".

"Then there must be a way across".

The pirate handed Emma his torch as he then rolled up his shirt revealing his torso, also covered in similar markings to those on his arms. Almost every inch of his body was marked with intricate drawings and symbols like one big tapestry.

"I don't see how stripping helps"?

"It will in our case, these markings on the floor, I've seen them on here but in a pattern".

"So, you've got clues tattooed on you"?

"Yes of course, please can you check my back, left bottom corner".

"Ok... do want me to read out the order".

"Yes, not all the tiles will fall we just need to step in the right place".

"It's hard to see in this light".

"Come on don't be shy, come closer" He insisted taking her hand gently pulling it closer until her palm was on his lower back.

"Right, you got a ship, dagger then a parasol"?

"Yes, and what's the last one".

"Stars"

"Great we just need to step on the tiles with the same images in the right order".

"What's the right order"?

"I'll figure it out as we go".

"Captain we could fall to our death".

"Just step exactly where I step, you'll be fine".

"What happens if you fall through"?

"Then maybe you should step somewhere else".

"I'm serious Captain, maybe we should turn back, try to get through the rubble at the entrance".

Captain Hook didn't respond; he knew there was only way out was to keep moving forward and that Emma knew that too. Her hesitation was just a defence, and he was thrilled at the sight of this trap knowing they were closer to the treasure, then any had ever been. There was a look in his eyes that calmed her, an intense determination and focus on the task in front of him.

"Ok let's do this".

"This kind of ingenuity is amazing; the treasure must be close".

Captain Hook exclaimed excited as he carefully stepped onto the first tile, which wobbled for a millisecond but was fine. He nodded before stepping onto the next tile and then the next while the princess carefully followed until they were on the last one.

"Oh crap"

Captain Hook said as one of the rusted panels from below him began to break away once he stood on it.

"Captain were going to fall"

Captain Hook pushed Emma across to the other side quickly, but he had left himself without enough time, as the floor fell from underneath his feet, he dropped down into darkness.

"No" the princess yelled.

Before quickly clinging to the wall desperately, his Hook smashing through the rock giving him something to hold onto.

"How did you do that… I thought"

"You were worried about me"?

"Yeah… of course... I'll never get home without you".

The captain smirked before leaping up grabbing hold of the rock and swinging across sideways, his hand gripping onto the wall by his fingertips and Hook jammed into the rock. Emma couldn't look away her stomach felt like it had formed a knot, as she helplessly watched the pirate casually scale along the rock, with a deadly dropped below him. The rock he was clinging to crumbled under his Hook, he slipped downwards before quickly grabbing hold of another rock.

"Seriously" he said like he was frustrated but somewhat bewildered by his lack of luck.

He began to slip backwards but found his footing quickly and raced back over to safety with huge smile on his face as if he was enjoying a ride, not facing life and death.

"Be careful"

"I'm fine princess".

Smiling as she watched him make the final leap across, landing right next to her with a loud stomp that echoed through the cave. Breathing heavy and coated in sweat he paused, before he met her eyes, smiling.

"Can I have my shirt back now, love".

"Yeah umm, here"

Emma handed it to him, as she became flustered, caught off guard by saving her life and risking his own all with such poise.

Hook, do you want some water?" Emma said, grabbing a small canteen she took from the campsite.

He nodded but was distracted looking down at the tattoos on his forearm, his mind lost in thought. Emma had noticed him doing this a lot as they walked through the forest yesterday and climbed the mountainside, he looked at it intently and then back up to their surrounds, desperation in his expression trying to find answers.

As he stood beside her taking the canteen delicately after she took a sip or two herself, he lifted it to his mouth. Emma hadn't really taken the time to take notice his scruffy hair, studs in his ears, also a lot of ink. Emma couldn't help but stroke his arm looking intently at the symbols, covered in random scribblings, but to those with a keen eye it was more.

"It's beautiful"

"Ah thanks love" He said.

"Is, this your map?"

"Somewhat, we gathered as many clues as possible from the stories, added to it over time".

"That sounds like a lifetime of hard work".

She looked at him curiosity, wondering why someone would go to such deaths for treasure or adventure.

"We have been planning this trip for most of our lives, this was the end all treasure".

"Ok now that's the third time you've slipped up, is there someone else on this journey with us?"

"Just you and me"

The Captains expression became sorrowful as he responded to Emma's enquiry.

"I'm sorry"

"I lost my brother Liam".

"From the look in your eyes, it happened recently".

"Time isn't as healing, as we are all lead to believe".

"That's true it never fades, just comes in waves some small, others towering over you sending you deep into the ocean and you don't know if you'll ever reach the surface again".

"You have lost someone".

"Yeah, there was stealthy he was lost before I was born, but then Graham and well, so many battles there are always casualties, it seems inevitable and endless".

The captain and the princess became quiet, solemnly thinking of those he had lost as the continued to walk in silence. As they carefully stepped further into the caverns, the walls seemed to be closing in, it got darker the air became stale.

"Captain"?

"Yes princess"

"It seems our flames are getting dimmer".

"Yeah, the oxygen it's getting thin, should we turn back, see if we missed a clue".

Emma stopped in her tracks considering it for a moment, but she felt a slight breeze on her face coming from up ahead and surge of adrenaline shot through her, excited to see what laid ahead of them she continued forward.

"I guess not" he said chuckling slightly before following her.