The Enemy of my Prison Warden is my Temporary Ally [Darth/BP]

What had Kryssie predicted? Dekus. Of course. They had pretty good night-sight, so hiding from them would be tricky. Attacking them would be dumb at best, too. No, she thought as she passed where the barrier had once been, she'd have to distract and restrain them. And she knew exactly how she would go about that. Dropping into a crouch and touching the tip of her wand to the ground, she mumbled a spell. Her magic oozed out of her wand and into the ground, fundamentally changing its composition. Kryssie grinned. Night-sight or no, with all the brush covering it, the Dekus would have a hard time seeing the change before it was too late.

Now, however, she'd need a way to lure the Dekus into her little trap, rather than after her. Fortunately, she knew how to do that, too. Her Wall of Hazards did not rise soundlessly, after all. She got to her feet, raising her wand and pointing the tip at the ground. A quick jerk to the right later, she hurried to take off to a side. Any noise she made in the bushes was drowned out by that of the thorny, barbed tentacles shooting up out of the ground, drawing the Dekus' attention. She didn't stop to watch them push past the tentacles -the thorns were harmless to their wooden skin- and inevitably falling into the quicksand that had replaced the forest soil. They would not die- the quicksand itself wouldn't be fatal. However, it remained for up to an entire day, and there was no limit to the number of victims it could trap in that time period. This would buy her time.

Sadly, she could only keep one instance of the spell active at a time. If any Dekus pursued her in this direction rather than trying to help their brethren, she would need a different way to put distance between them. She grinned deviously as she realised she wouldn't even need to cast any spells for that. She knew exactly where she was, and the forest itself would provide an obstacle that she could cross, but her pursuers couldn't without being slowed down significantly.

Disappointment practically oozed from every fibre of Flayre's being as she beheld the fruits of Kryssie's efforts. The Great Fairy had observed the girl with rapt attention, appraising her every move whilst tailing her from the shadows, only to be displeased by what she saw. Kryssie had started off so well, too! Taking the initiative? Good! Luring the Deku into a cunning trap without assistance? Excellent! But when it came time for the grand finale, the Kokiri had failed. Completely and utterly. Instead of finishing off the wretched Dekus she had ensnared with her magical quicksand, she had elected to make her escape by fleeing into the foliage, leaving them to scream their heads off as they thrashed about.

What had come over the girl? Had she lost her nerve? No, that couldn't be it. Kryssie had behaved quite aggressively during their initial encounter. Carelessness? Laziness? Flayre could not abide either, and she would have to reprimand her servant once this debacle was over. First, though, she would have to remedy the situation. If left alive, the Dekus would surely attract more sentries with their cries.

And that was an unacceptable outcome.

Leaping into action, Flayre zoomed toward the Dekus, twisting her features into an expression of intense concern as she called out to them.

"Oh no! What's happened?! Don't worry, I'll get you out of there! Just... stay calm, and don't struggle! You'll only sink faster if you do!" Having expertly captured the worrisome tone that a genuinely altruistic bystander would have used, Flayre floated upwards, hovering directly above the Dekus. She paid no heed to their replies; they had no reason to suspect that a Great Fairy would be anything other than an ally, and her ring would further compel their obedience. Shutting them up was all that mattered, and it appeared that they had indeed quieted down, waiting for her to work her magic.

Little did they realize just what a treat they were in for! Flayre would grace them with the highest of honours: She would sing their Elegy. The curtain had been drawn... It would be a performance to die for, and the cost of admission would be their lives.

Unburdened by any sense of morality, Flayre closed her eyes and began to sing, her voice strong and clear in the night air. She was in her element, now... The long years of imprisonment had stripped away most of her powers, but THIS was something it could never have taken from her. Beauty, Art, Music... These were the concepts she held dear, and nothing could have forced her to surrender them. If anything, her bleak existence in captivity had enhanced her sense of artistic refinement; even now her singing benefited, her rendition of the haunting melody that was the Elegy of Emptiness conveying every last inch of the loneliness and despair she had once felt. Mindful of the fact that she had a limited amount of time, Flayre increased her tempo, singing faster and faster before suddenly coming to an abrupt stop. In total, the recital lasted perhaps half-a-minute... But for those thirty seconds, she was SUBLIME.

At the exact moment she finished the song, Flayre once more ascended, floating skyward. In the same motion, she drew her wand and fired a Wind spell below her, just as the statue conjured by the Elegy materialized beneath her. Propelled downward by gravity and Flayre's magic, the statue plummeted at an alarming velocity, and the Dekus scarcely had time to react before they were flattened with a sickening crunch.

Still, although the threat had been dealt with, not all was well. As Flayre swooped down to survey her handiwork, she was beset by feelings of unease. It was like a scene out of a tragedy: The Elegy's likeness of Flayre was a perfect replica in every way, with its exquisite curves, majestic smile, and flawless skin... and it was sinking into the mud. Already, its finely chiseled toes were covered in muck and Deku viscera, and it would not be long until the rest of the statue followed. The sight was enough to move the Great Fairy to tears, and Flayre dabbed at her cheeks with her handkerchief, lamenting the loss of the very first work created in her image. Briefly, she considered trying to haul it out of the quicksand with brute strength, or failing that, her Wind spells, but she ultimately realized that there was nothing that could be done. What a terrible, senseless waste of beauty... And it was all Kryssie's fault.

Tearing her eyes from the depressing spectacle, Flayre furrowed her brow and scanned the brush below. Kryssie had disappeared... she would have to locate her, in order to give her the tongue-lashing she deserved.

Entirely unaware of Flayre's actions and thoughts, Kryssie kept rushing through the brush, pushing aside branches and occasionally stumbling over a root, until she reached a slightly less dense part of the woods. Grinning, she looked at the open expanse in front of her. Normally, a lack of cover would be bad, since it would mean she would be seen any moment, but in this case, the open ground was a blessing. After all, what lay before her wasn't ground but water; a large pond, where Kokiris often swam or fished, but which was empty and still in the dead of the night. She couldn't run -her concentration would suffer- but she had built up quite a distance between herself and her pursuers.

Tucking her wand away, Kryssie set foot on the water's surface, focusing on the way it rippled and willing it to stay solid beneath her feet. It obeyed, letting her walk across the pond. She was quiet as she walked, so even if there were any Dekus around it they did not catch on to her presence. Gracefully and calmly, she stepped off the water on the other side, drawing her wand once more. She was so close to the edge of the forest... but there was a barrier of large vines blocking her way to the outside world, she knew. It served as a warning both to potential intruders and to curious Kokiris, and usually the Great Deku Tree would force it to recede whenever he allowed someone to leave. Kryssie knew better than to expect him to let her, though.

Fortunately, she had just the spell to get rid of it... at least in theory. As she reached the thick green vines, she put one hand on her hip and raised her wand with the other. The window of her house shattering as Flayre struck it had given her an idea. Just as the large glass plate of the window had split into many smaller pieces, she visualised a large locust splitting off into hundreds of little ones... and waved her wand up. From the tip, a stream of little insects burst forth, immediately latching on to the vines and starting to feast on them. Kryssie spent a few more minutes looking around nervously, but when the insects disappeared in little puffs of smoke five minutes later, she found herself looking at a hole in the barrier, just small enough for her to climb through. She'd done it, she knew as she pulled herself up into the hole and jumped out the other side. She'd escaped Kokiri Forest... the world lay at her feet, just waiting to be explored.

...what had happened to that pesky spirit, anyway?

As Flayre searched the thickets for any sign of her erstwhile companion, her frustration quickly turned to anger. Try as she might, the Kokiri was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had vanished into thin air... or into the night.

Why, that ungrateful little guttersnipe. Had she forgotten who was responsible for her liberation? Flayre supposed that some degree of unruliness was to be expected- after all, Kryssie was an ostracized, repressed child. But the Great Fairy could only overlook so much. Not presenting her saviour with a gift, leaving the Dekus alive, abandoning said saviour to traipse through the forest... No, Kryssie had crossed a line, and would have to be taught a lesson.

Fortunately, Flayre had other means at her disposal with which to locate her wayward protege. If she herself could not ferret out the girl, then perhaps the magic of nature itself could. Exploiting her innate affinity with plants was a desperate measure, but entirely called for. Slights against her could not go unavenged.

Selecting the largest of the trees dotting the surrounding area, a gnarled old oak, Flayre glided toward it, her palms outstretched as she attempted to establish a telepathic link.

"O Great and Exalted Sentinel of the Wood... I must call upon you, now... to deliver a message... Please, lend me your aid... and I will carry your name in my heart as I spread your leaves to the corners of this world..."

Contrary to popular belief, not all lesser trees counted themselves as subjects of the Great Deku Tree. Some were rather impartial when it came to the conflict between his servants and individuals like herself and Kryssie, even within the Deku Tree's domain. Whether these renegade trees were motivated by jealousy, resentment, or simple apathy, Flayre could not say. All she knew was that if one appealed to their ancient egos, entreating them with the proper respect, these trees could be persuaded to render valuable services. Ordinarily, Flayre would have balked at the idea of speaking so submissively to another, but she had always regarded plant life as kindred spirits. Megaflora like this massive oak were the closest thing she had to an equal.

In a wordless response to her plea, the oak dropped a single leaf into her hands. Flayre smiled, instinctively knowing what she had to do. Clasping the leaf to her breast, she began to speak.

"Kryssie? Where are you? Please, return to me. I thought we were friends, sisters-in-arms against the world? I can offer you power beyond your wildest imaginings... I can grant you revenge. I could even be your fairy companion, since you seem to have lost yours... Anything you could desire... could be yours..." She purred, before shifting to an ever-so-slightly more menacing tone. "Do not spurn my invitation, Kryssie. I can contact you at-will in this fashion. I shall not relent until you meet me in-person."

Her sinister message complete, Flayre took a deep breath, then blew into her hands, creating a kaleidoscope of shimmering leaves, fleeting images of beauty that disappeared as soon as they had been created, carrying her voiced missive to the Kokiri instantaneously.

When the leaf landed on Kryssie's hand and the message was delivered, she only grinned maniacally and crushed the leaf in her hand. "Oh, my dear whimsical spirit, you are even dumber than you are arrogant," she said, not sure if Flayre could hear her and not caring. "Friends? I don't have friends. I don't need you... and certainly not hovering over my back all day, every day." She started ripping the leaf up. "If you can hear this, Flayre, then take note." She remained quiet for a little while longer, taking her time ripping up the leaf and dropping the shreds on the ground.

"I will not escape the eye of one tyrant, only to fall prey to the whims of another. As of this moment, I am my own master."

When it became apparent that Kryssie was not going to answer her summons, Flayre whispered a quiet "Thank you" to the oak (Displaying far more gratitude than Kryssie had, she was quick to note) and departed. She could not afford to linger for long, not in the heart of the Deku Tree's empire.

Still, this excursion hadn't been a total loss. Although she had failed to accomplish her original objective of recruiting a capable follower, she now possessed the Elegy... as well as the power to communicate across the whole of Hyrule in an instant, to boot. Variety was the spice of life, and while Kryssie's disobedience made her blood boil, Flayre knew she had all the time in the world to torment the Kokiri with endless messages, courtesy of her new ability. A Great Fairy's grudge could last several lifetimes, as she would soon discover.

And if nothing else, she had struck a mighty blow against the Deku Tree. Kryssie may have been nothing more than an ill-mannered wretch, but she was still no friend of his. By freeing her, Flayre had likely caused more problems for the wooden tyrant in the long run.

Taking all of these facts into account, Flayre concluded that this she had managed a victory of sorts. She had not been outwitted- she had constructed a scenario that could not possibly result in her defeat, no matter the outcome. How very like her, to snatch victory from the jaws of a dismal failure!

At least, that was what the Great Fairy told herself as she fled...

THE END​