Daphne woke up that evening. She went past the glowing snails who shrieked a warning cry, entered into a small corner and found Dastardly, laying over a sharp rock, his now rusted sword on the ground, momentarily forgotten.

Daphne figured it was Zhan Tiri playing tricks on her and decided to interrogate her into locating Elroy. She grabbed the sword and pointed it at Dastardly.

"Stay where you are, she devil!" she shouted. "Where's my brother?"

But Dastardly didn't move. He was wounded, cold and hungry.

Daphne wanted to leave him, but she felt something in her that told her not to.

Sure, he was the same cold hearted monster who tried to kill her mother and uncles, but he was helpless. She undid her jacket over her nightgown and placed it over Dastardly's body.

"You'll have to help me" she whispered to Dastardly, who was barely awake. "You'll have to lean on me."

Carefully, Daphne helped Dastardly up on his feet, his good arm over her shoulder. The stump of his right arm caught her off guard but she didn't stop.

The two slowly walked/limped out of the cave.

Later in Dead Man's Cave, Daphne splashed water in Dastardly's face. The pirate woke up coughing and immediately panicked, thinking Daphne was a changeling or a druun.

"Are you okay?" Daphne asked gently.

"Please, go right ahead," begged Dastardly, "Run me through, drain my essence, turn me to stone. You'll be doing me a favor."

Daphne looked at him confused. "All right. I give up. What's your problem?"

Dastardly sniffled and said, "All I've ever wanted was to get away from this dreadful place, but drat it all! Here I am…stuck in this absurd place."

He then recomposed himself and leaned closer to Daphne. "The only thing I know is you're not Rapunzel. Who are you?"

"I am Daphne" replied the girl, though uncomfortable of the pirate that haunted her as a younger kid.

Dastardly was confused, but he wasn't going to fight about it. Then he got suspicious.

"But how do I know you are a little girl and not a changeling?" he snarled with a sneer.

"I know who I am!" Daphne yelled defensively. "All I wanna do is find my mother and brother and return home."

Unknown to them, there were being watched by someone.

With a heavy sigh, Daphne sat an inch from Dastardly.

"I guess we're in the same boat" she continued.

"The same boat! That's it!" exclaimed Dastardly.

"What's it?"

"I'll give you passage home on my ship once we recover it and your family."

"And kill Flynn? No way!"

Dastardly tried to reason with Daphne, who just didn't trust the pirate for what he did to her mother.

"Why should you worry about Pan?" he asked. "He's not sensible like you and I. He's just a boy who'll never grow up."

"Tell me about it," muttered Daphne.

"And, really, what other choice do you have? It's not as though you could fly home."

Daphne looked thoughtfully up at him. "Well, I suppose. I don't know, maybe… But, wait."

"Hmm?"

"You must swear not to harm Flynn."

Dastardly exploded with anger.

"Me?! Harm Flynn Pan? Are you crazy? My life is hanging by a thread! He cuts my hand off, fed it to that dim witted water dragon and now sent the changelings and the druun after all of us! I will not rest until I have my revenge! HE RUINED MY LIFE!"

"NO!" snapped Daphne. "You ruined your own life! You could have stopped hunting down Flynn but you didn't! He didn't cut your hand off and Sisu was trying to help you!"

Dastardly was taken back by this girl's feisty attitude. She reminded him of himself when he was her age.

"You're… right…" he finally spoke, "I've been so… obsessed that I-—"

He stopped, then dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry" sobbed the captain. "It's all my fault. I am sick of it!"

Dastardly continued to cry.

Daphne knew what it was like to angry and to have no control and there's nothing that could be done.

She got down on Dastardly's level and held up his head.

"I know it feels that way" she said gently. "Like, all the time. But... it isn't true. Zhan Tiri will never win. As long there is faith and trust."

Dastardly, having stopped crying, understood. But it didn't change how he hates Flynn.

"You're doing the right thing, my dear" he sniffled as he stood up. "But this doesn't change anything."

Daphne was hurt. She was trying to help Dastardly with his emotions and should she be able to get through to him, he was her family's only way home… What she doesn't know was that the cutie mark on his shoulder was slowly starting to fade.

Just then, there was a loud rumble, like somebody was breaking in.

"What was that?" gasped Daphne.

Dastardly immediately picked up his sword and pushed Daphne close behind him.

The rumbling got louder and louder and then…

SPLASH!

"Mom!" Daphne cried.

She ran into Rapunzel's open arms, knocking her down back into the water.

Then Flynn, the boys and the pirates arrived.

"Alright!" cheered Sisu, changing into human form.

Muttley sniffed Dastardly suspiciously.

"Drat it, Muttley!" snarled the pirate. "You know it's me!"

Hearing the familiar angry voice, Muttley barked excitedly and licked Dastardly.

"Captain!" Tong smiled, hugging their long lost captain.

"Missed you so much" Naamari added.

Soon, Tong's hug began to crush his fellow pirates.

"Tong!" Naarmari scolded.

"Choking, not breathing!" gasped Dastardly.

Realizing his mistake, Tong let go and the pirates gasped for air.

The boys laughed until Twilight splashed into the water.

The alicorn was losing her light and her horn has vanished.

Everyone gasped in shock, horror.

Upset, Twilight began to stare at her reflection, then began to cry.

"We must get her back to the hideout now" Sisu said, anxiously. "Before she gets any worse."

To be continued…