I want to once again say thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. I now have a better idea of where my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer.

Chapter 16: Tricks in the Dark

When they had prepared themselves for their expedition to recover the Shadow Medallion, Midna, Link and Groose entered the Twilight Realm through Skyloft's Mirror of Twilight. After arriving at the shadow world's Peacekeeper base, the group made their way to the Palace of Twilight. Though they were on an important mission, Midna had made a request to take a quick detour to her former home.

As none of them could be seen in their true forms, the threesome disguised themselves as Twili. Link and Groose yellowed their eyes and darkened their skin in order to blend in however Midna needed a radical change in her appearance. In place of her usual long, straight fire-orange style, her hair had become short, wavy and black. She made herself seem slightly shorter in height and her disguise was a little wider in the face. On her back was a brand-new sword to replace she had lost in the Fire Sanctuary. If Link had not been there to see her mask herself, he would have thought she was a completely different person.

The town near the palace was where they warped to, a less conspicuous place to appear at than the castle grounds. The markets were bustling with people all going about their daily business of buying and selling, none of whom batted an eye at the three unfamiliar faces. For a long time, Midna had been concerned about the Twili's well-being under the rule of their new leader. She often used her scrying mirror to check on the realm when alone, even from Link, and though the Twili appeared happy enough, it took seeing them with her own eyes to finally put her mind at ease. She heard a moist, chewing sound coming from behind her and turned to find Groose eating away at a skewered Twilight fish.

He caught her staring at him and spoke with his mouth half full. "What? I was hungry."

Link shook his head beside him with a look of mild disgust. "How can you eat that?" he said in a low voice, grimacing at the cooked animal's tentacles.

Groose shrugged at the question. "Taste's better than it looks." He took another bite before holding it in front of Link. "Want some?" The Hero turned his nose away from the meat, sticking his tongue out. Midna took the offer in his place, savoring the unique flavor that she had not experienced since before her recent diet of light-worlder food.

She listened to the conversations within the crowd, most of it irrelevant to her but there was the odd comment regarding their current ruler. King Eddard had lead the Twili with a compassionate hand, taking the people's concerns and needs into consideration as Midna had hoped when she chose him as her successor. Back when she was still a princess she knew that he was a better candidate than more greedy lords who would have abused the throne. Midna was glad that that trust had not been misplaced.

Curiosity lured Midna to a less populated area closer to the palace. The site was littered with many headstones of deceased high-borns. Some of the graves belonged to past kings and queens of the Twilight Realm, each marked by a stone statue of their respective monarch. Habit from frequent visits to the graveyard allowed Midna to single out the likeness of one king in particular. Her expression fell sullen as she stood before her father's resting place.

Similar to herself, Midna's father was tall and slender. His face was narrow though distinguished with his strong jawbone, prominent cheekbones and granite eyes filled with deep wisdom. The craftsmanship was so perfect that the stone looked like it could come to life. Midna could remember spending hours alone kneeling beneath the statue crying after his passing, days and weeks living in anguish before Zant's coup forced her out of her sorrow to focus on saving her stolen kingdom.

Midna found it unsettling when she turned to the grave on the right. The stone figure on top was a tall, beautiful young woman; it was her standing on her own grave marker. The base of the granite princess bore an inscription in Twilian letters reading 'Though her reign was short, she ruled with a gentle heart.' She knew that had to have been Eddard's work, no one else would have said such a thing, not after the way she led her people and lost her throne so soon after claiming it. Midna did not think she deserved this kindness yet she appreciated it all the same.

"It's so tragic," said a female voice in her language. Startled, Midna looked back to see a Twili woman and a man behind her next to Link and Groose. "She was so young and had so much to live for. Something horrible must have happened to the princess to drive her to kill herself." Midna went rigid until she remembered that she did not look like herself, no one save the humans next to her knew who she really was.

The man snorted. "She was weak if you ask me. Kicked of the throne barely a month after her coronation and suddenly disappeared when that tyrant Zant took over. Then after someone kills the devil she shows up out of nowhere and sits her worthless rear back onto that damn chair as though nothing had happened."

His words gripped at Midna's heart with a freezing hand. The man was not done however, "I heard the rumours going around after that. That girl didn't give a rat's fart about our people. She just sat on the throne bored as a floor. Next thing I hear is that she jumps out of her bedroom window and hits the ground face first. Good for her I reckon. Best idea she's ever had. We're all better off without her."

The woman berated him but Midna's body was already shaking and her eyes burning. She spun away from the statue and ran, not caring where she went. Dashing through the hordes of Twili in the marketplace Midna kept running, hot tears flowing freely. She barely heard Link call out after her but she did not stop. When her legs would not carry her any further she, dropped to her knees in an isolated field, her snivels turning into irrepressible sobs.

She felt muscled arms grab hold of her and pull her towards a hard, chainmail-clad chest. "Midna," Link said, gasping lightly from chasing her, "what's wrong, what happened back there?"

When she gave no response besides her weeping he looked back at Groose. The larger Peacekeeper reluctantly translated the earlier conversation. Link let go of Midna and stormed back towards the town before Groose restrained him. "I'm going kill him!" Link screamed furiously, fighting against the redhead's grasp. "Get off of me Groose, I'm going to kill him!"

"Leave it!" Groose insisted. "Believe me, I want to drop the guy myself but he's not worth it. We have a job to do so we can't go around beating people senseless and drawing attention to ourselves. We're supposed to be covert remember?"

Link failed to listen and continued to struggle. "Link, stop, please," Midna told him, her voice strained and shaky. "That guy was right, I was a terrible ruler. Running away and putting someone else in charge was the best thing I ever did for this kingdom."

"Don't say that." Link growled, finally breaking away from Groose to face her. "We've been over this, you were not-"

"Link," she interrupted, "it's okay, really. Groose is right; we have bigger things to worry about at the moment than my little breakdowns." She picked herself up and wiped her eyes. "Come on, I'm done here so let's go get that medallion." With no more to say on the matter the threesome broke apart into Twilight particles and vanished into the sky.

The ancient structure before them was less impressive than other temples Link had explored. The obsidian black building was no larger than a small mansion. Furthermore, like most Twilian architecture, the tomb's shape was rectangular with not much in the way of other features. Red networking runes lined the walls, offering what little colour they could provide to its bleak surface. The entrance gaped open wide like a great monsters mouth ready to swallow any who dared step within.

"So what's the story with this place?" the Hero of Light asked aloud. His facade along with those of his companions had been discarded as they no longer served purpose. As there was not another soul to be seen for miles they were free to walk around in their true forms.

It was Midna who answered his question. "This is the Dark Tomb where the ancestors of the Twili were put to rest long ago."

"You mean the Dark Interlopers who got your people banished here?" Link said, recalling the Twili's history where a group of powerful shadow magicians were driven from the world of light by the spirits. The Dark Interlopers, as they had been named, had invaded the Sacred Realm and attempted to acquire the divine power resting there, the Triforce.

Midna nodded. "After being banished, the tribe turned on their leaders out of anger. Even the Interlopers' own children acted against them. The sons executed their fathers for their reckless greed and assumed leadership of the tribe. The Interloper's were then buried here far away from the people. This place serves as a reminder to the Twili of what happens when you seek power purely for the sake of it."

'Cheery," Groose grimaced. "If the Shadow Medallion's here then I can't think of a better place for it. World of perpetual twilight; dark, creepy tomb; long-dead power hungry sorcerers buried deep inside. Yep, this place ticks all the boxes."

Link stared into the open doorway. It was difficult to see clearly even a few feet in as darkness consumed what little light the sky of Twilight provided. He drew his sword and extended it towards the entrance. The blade glowed and vibrated with a familiar hum, increasing in frequency as he dropped the sword point downwards which indicated that more of the temple was underground.

"No doubt about it," he affirmed. "This is definitely the right place."

Link took point heading inside the tomb. The chilly air was stale and reeked of death and rot, making it unpleasant to breathe. Going deeper in, Groose created a ball of light so that they could see what was ahead. Twilight vermin scurried across the stone floor, squeaking at the explorers but otherwise leaving them alone. In a room where the path divided they found a small group of them gnawing away at several humanoid skeletons lying on the ground.

"Hold up," Link instructed. He stuck his hand out to indicate for his companions to stop. Something was wrong. The freshest corpse looked only a few weeks old and the smell seconded that. But the body had been cleaved in two yet there was no sign of what could have caused that. All the other skeletons were in the same condition, some dusty and yellow with age. The bones rested near the center of the room and there were no gaps in the walls or ceiling where a blade trap could be concealed.

"This doesn't make sense," he told them. "There should be something around here that could have cut these guys up but there isn't anything else around."

"Do you think that some guardian could have done this?" Midna suggested.

Link shook his head. "Not likely. There's no sign of battle here so whoever these were got caught by surprise. It couldn't have been an ambush either because everyone who came this way after the first would be on edge from seeing the body, plus there's nothing here to hide behind."

Groose frowned and rubbed his chin. He then pointed out at the floor. "Hey, you see that there, smack dab in the centre of the room?" The others followed his finger and spotted a tiny circle in the floor. It seemed innocent enough but it was the only possible clue they could see.

"Let me try something," Link said. In his mind he searched through his pocket dimension inventory and summoned a red apple. After muttering an incantation, the apple rose from his hand and floated out into the room. Without warning the fruit split perfectly in half yet they saw nothing that had passed through it.

"There's definitely something there," Link said. "Damn, if only I could turn into a wolf again." Shortly after defeating Ganondorf, the shadow crystal that once gave the Hero the ability to change into the form of a beast disintegrated into powerless dust. Link had not grieved about it much. It was a useful power what with the keener senses of a wolf but he much preferred being able to walk around in his true skin.

"Let me try something," Groose said, "True Sight," and the young man's eyes shone a bright purple color. His face then turned to shock and he took an involuntary step back. "Woah! There's a huge death trap in there. The thing was invisible this whole time."

"Figures," the Hero frowned. He and Midna used the spell themselves to see for themselves. Link felt a sensation like his vision was becoming clearer as the world took on a violet tint. Where there had been empty space there was now a tall pillar coming out of the floor. Great scythes that reached around most of the room spun quickly around the post, the cruel sharpness of the blades' edges reflecting the explorers' light source.

"Goddesses," Midna muttered. "Talk about overkill. Good thing Groose knew that spell or we might have walked into that. And let's not forget about the brave apple that gave its life to save our own," she added jokingly.

The redheaded male chuckled. "And here I thought Aunt Selphie's birthday present was a dud. Now I'm glad I didn't get that pair of digging claws for my sixteenth."

"There'll probably more traps like this up ahead," Link warned, "so let's be careful."

And right he was. There were several more unseen dangers the further they went. Guillotines, moving platforms, axe pendulums, all hidden from view by some strange enchantment. Out of all the temples that Link had explored, this place was by far the most deadly. In his head he imagined how he would have fared the tomb before he became a Peacekeeper. The most likely outcome was not good.

The Master Sword hummed with greater intensity as the group stood before a large set of doors. It required Link and Groose's combined strength to push them open and even then they struggled against their weight. Ancient dust clouds erupted from the chamber within which Link blew away with his boomerang. Inside sat three black coffins arranged in a triangle, each etched with blue Twili runes. In the middle of the triangle stood a cylindrical stone pedestal. On top of the pedestal sat a purple disk with a triangle inscribed on its face with a circle dotted beside each of its edges.

"This must be the Interlopers' chamber," Midna awed. "I bet no one's been in here for centuries." Piles of greyish dust littered the floor and the caskets supporting her theory.

"Except for whoever put the Shadow Medallion here," Link replied. "Now let's grab it and get the heck out of this place before something shows up to kill us."

He extended his hand to pick up the treasure. "Master Link, stop!" He froze immediately with his fingers hovering mere centimeters away when Fi called out to him. Link quickly drew his hand back and faced the recently-materialized spirit.

"Master, the artefact in front of you is not the Shadow Medallion. This replica, I believe, is part of some security measure designed to protect the real medallion. I sense a magical connection between the replica and the three coffins. I hypothesize that touching or removing the fraud triggers some enchantment on the Dark Interloper's remains. My most plausible prediction is that the enchantment animates the corpses which will then attack any intruders on sight."

"Seriously?" Groose exclaimed. "As if this place wasn't creepy enough. First invisible death machines and now zombie sorcerers. After this I'm done with this world, no offence Midna."

The Twili shrugged. "None taken. So if this thing is a fake then where's the real one?"

"I detect that the true Shadow Medallion is within this room," Fi responded. "Scans of the immediate proximity reveal that the medallion is up there." The spirit gazed up at the ceiling, the rest of the group followed suit. Right over the pedestal, embedded in the brickwork, was another circular object that was exactly identical to the forgery. Midna levitated up to the medallion and pried it out as carefully as she could.

"Got it," she said as she floated back to ground level. "Wow, this thing has some serious shadow magic in it. Feels just like the Fused Shadows did, only less sinister. It's kind of pleasant and calming actually."

"Well the medallions weren't intended as weapons so that might be it," Groose commented. "Since we've avoided a fight so far, I say we skedaddle before our luck runs out." His friends nodded in agreement. Midna snapped her fingers, opening up a portal on the floor.

"Oh, are you leaving so soon?" said a voice that made Link burn with anger. He turned around to lay eyes on Brandon leaning casually against the door frame. The Hero pulled out his sword, ready to cut down the man.

"Now let's be civilised," Brandon tutted. "I'm not here for a fight or to try to steal that medallion from you, honest."

Link did not lower his blade. "How the hell did you get in this world?" he growled dangerously. "The Peacekeepers have got all the Mirrors of Twilight guarded."

"Not all of them." Brandon paused, "Could you please put that away, it's not very polite to point a weapon at an unarmed man."

Slowly, realization dawned on the Hero. "You found another mirror," his voice barely more than a whisper. Not counting the one that Midna had destroyed months previously, the Peacekeepers protected five of the gateways between the Light and Twilight Realms however there were still three others that had yet to be found. Now it seemed that there were only two. "Don't try anything funny Brandon. One step in that portal and we're gone."

The cult leader sighed exasperatedly. "As I have already told you, I am not about to claim the Shadow Medallion by force. Instead you are going to give it to me willingly. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you will give me the medallion as well as the one you acquired from the Fire Sanctuary."

"You really have lost your mind. Why in Din's name would I do that?" the Hero asked, shaking his head.

Brandon smirked confidently. "Because it is the only way you are going to see your father alive again."

Link recoiled then composed himself. "Callum's dead. He died when Ghirahim dropped a mountain on him."

"I assure you he is very much alive." The ex-Peacekeeper picked out a small object from his pocket. "Here, see for yourself." Link approached cautiously and snatched the item. Holding it up he saw that the object was a scrying mirror and the image it displayed almost made him drop it.

The mirror showed a dark room. Tied to a chair was a man with black, scruffy hair and a beard to match it. He was hunched over with his face looking downward. The man slowly raised his head and Link was shocked to see it was indeed Callum. His face was badly bruised and dried blood ran down his chin onto his red Goron tunic. He looked as though he had been beaten for some time.

Callum's eyes widened as he gazed forward. "Link..." he said in a weak voice. The mirror in the Hero's hand must be connected to one in front of Callum.

Link stared at the image for a long moment then turned to Brandon. "How do I know that he's not one of your cronies in disguise?" Link did not know whether he wanted the man in the mirror to be his father or an impostor, either case would have given him some pain and comfort.

"You could try asking him a question," the traitor suggested nonchalantly. "I recommend asking something only the real Callum would know the answer to."

Link thought hard on what to say. He needed something that would prove his father's identity without doubt, something they only the two of them knew, then he had it. "Before we went to find the Kokiri you told Midna, Groose and I about the Sage's medallions," he said to the mirror. "What did you tell me to do when we were alone afterwards?"

The man who may have been Callum did not hesitate. "I told you to protect Midna and keep her close because I knew she was the one person you could never live without. I said that so that you wouldn't make the same stupid mistake that I made with your mother."

That was all the proof Link needed. "Callum what happened to you? Where are you?"

"I'm sorry to cut your family reunion short but we have business to attend to," Brandon interrupted. "If you want Callum returned alive and in one piece, you will bring both the Shadow and Fire Medallions to the summit of Snowpeak. There is a cave nearby where a group of my followers and I will be holding your father."

"Don't listen to him Link!" Callum shouted. "Forget about me. You can't allow Brandon to have the last two medallions." A gloved fist shot out from view and struck the Peacekeeper in the face, silencing him.

Brandon continued. "I will warn you, if you and the Order attempt a rescue mission then I will kill Callum on the spot. There are other ways I can reclaim the remaining medallions but this method involves far less bloodshed. You are to come to the exchange point alone. You may bring your precious friends here if you wish but no one else."

Link did not resist when Brandon took back the mirror. "I will allow you some time to think about this, I know that the council tends to take a dreadful while with such matters. However I urge you not to keep us waiting, Snowpeak is an uncomfortably cold place to camp in." With that the cult leader turned and left back out the door, leaving the Hero of Light to decide between the fate of the world and the life of his own father.

Okay, I know that most people probably saw this coming and I apologise that there was no fight scene. I just didn't feel like doing one this time round. Sorry if some of you found this chapter to be a little dry.