The other side of the coin [PLOT | Midna]

[Dark Link]

It had been only hours after her father had passed away. The shade actually wondered just what she could have been up to. She might have been planning for her future reign. From what he had heard, Zant had been released and was pent up in his room, still a bit miffed over what had happened. Midna however, he hadn't been able to hear anything about. He wondered if she was even awake at this point. Considering what had happened, she must have been emotionally, and physically exhausted. Tomorrow was her first day, after all.

So, he did what any sensible person would do; sneak into the castle. Making his way into the rooftops, Dark Link slipped past the guards, ducking in and out of the shadows. It didn't take long for him to reach the roof, casually hopping from ledge to ledge in a highly acrobatic manner as the twilight singled out his figure. It was almost painful just how easy this was for him. None of the guards bothered to look upwards. If they had, they might have caught the shade before he got anywhere near his destination. Not that he didn't have anything for that.

He finally reached his destination; a balcony. The shade dropped down, landing gracefully on his feet. The newly elected Twilight Princess was nowhere to be found. Perfect, then there was no reason for this to not work. Maybe. Honestly, he had studied the old man during his stay here, he figured that he could do something about it.

His form began to change. From his feet up, it began to morph, changing into a middle aged looking man, one that bearded resemblance to Zant and Midna. It was clear at this point he was impersonating the late Twilight King. The transformed shade grimaced for a moment before he wiped it away. He had to do this just right. If he was correct, the Twilight King had an aura of grace, realty, and authority, he had to match that, and his vocabulary.

Without further ado, he left the balcony, walking into the room that belonged to his "daughter".

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[Midna]

what are you waiting for?

just surrender here tonight as we go towards the light

There was an old saying, and while she couldn't remember it verbatim, it went something like this: 'strike the iron while it's still hot'. That was exactly what went running in her mind the second she sensed the intruder infiltrating the castle. It was by no means a peaceful interloper - in fact, she couldn't tell if it was a dark interloper or not - but as far as she could tell there was no signs of violence breaking out. Last thing she needed to worry about was cleaning up the palace with guards creating a ruckus to capture a lone intruder. Could it have been an assassin seeking out to kill the new leader while her guard was down? It was far too soon for them to be striking down the new leader.

With the lift of her finger, she picked up one of her combs via telekinesis, one that carried a rather precise point at it's end. Carmine eyes flickered brightly picking up the new arrival coming from the balcony. When the figure took the first step into her room, she sent the comb straight for the head, point first make a strike... but there would be no bloodshed. Simply because when the figure came to light, and it's form was revealed she hesitated in stabbing the male. In that brief moment, she was thrown off guard realizing who she was about to stab. A small sigh escaped from her lips.

"Didn't anybody teach you to knock?" she asked dryly. "It's quite rude to come into a lady's room uninvited."

At least her late father had the courtesy to knock before entering her room~ With a simple wave of her hand, she took the comb away from his face, and placed it back onto her dresser. It didn't take long for the princess to piece the puzzle together as to what kind of game the shade was playing. What she wouldn't admit was the fact that it worked, in the sense, she didn't kill him right away. Senseless killing was never her style to being with, but there was more to it than just that. Clever. Shape-shifting; a classic display of rubbing it in her face that he was far beyond the hope of ever coming back home. The intruder took on that form for a reason, and she wanted answers.

"What business do you have with me that requires you to take the form of another?" she asked, glancing over to the disguised shade with raw, excessive venom.

[Dark Link]

On the outside, the shade was able to keep a calm demeanor. Barely. Inside, he was furious. Not at Midna, not at himself either. But he was more angry at the fact that he had just wasted so much of his time trying to get things down perfectly, and it broke down before names had even been swapped. "I... what? I study that jackass for months and I get found out before I can even say anything?!" His mind raced, fuming, trying to think of a situation out of this. "BULLSHIT." Dark Link mentally swore at the Twilight Princess.

... Maybe she was calling his bluff? That had to be it. She was emotionally wounded, she wouldn't figure it out that quickly! ... Then again, there was a reason the old man chose her, she could probably figure it out quicker than most. Maybe it was worth trying to keep the charade up a little bit longer. If she continued to insist, then yeah, he could drop it, but exposing himself was something that he would rather not do. Maybe if it came down to it, he could figure out another form to use.

So for now he just smiled at her softly. "Even with your own eyes, it is still difficult to believe. That's good. I've left the Twili in good hands." That's right. Her father loved her, and he was a wise man. Just begging her to believe it was him was something that just wouldn't work. He wouldn't try to explain the situation. Truth be told, the shade couldn't think of anything to make it sound convincing, so instead, he'd try and pass it off as a compliment from her dead father.

He didn't move from his spot, he wouldn't let this charade fall apart. "There was something that I wished to tell you. Unfortunately, I never got the chance. I didn't want our... your... people to hear something like this." Right. Bombshell bombshell... what could capture her attention and possibly get her attention away from calling his validity into question? Something big, it had to be something big.

Bingo!

He gave a sign of sorts, slumping his shoulders slightly. "During my rule, there were... conspirators who wished to take the throne. They plan to use my passing to incite a rebellion." He was really winging it here, and truth be told, he was worried that she wouldn't buy the whole thing. Dark Link was taking a serious gamble here. But if he could just prey on the emotional fragility that lurked beneath that strong exterior, maybe he could at least get her to play into his hands.

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[Midna]

what are you waiting for?

just surrender here tonight as we go towards the light

Midna quirked a brow. What kind of fool did he take her for? The princess could barely contain herself in front of the imposter, bent with annoyance, offended that he would even try to pose as her late father. It took quite a bit of will power to keep her attention focused on the matter at hand. The image of her father's peaceful body resting peacefully in his coffin still haunted her mind. She couldn't find the purpose behind the facade other than to just dig the blade of misery deeper, which was in fact, doing it's job flawlessly. Never would she show it up front how deep was the wound, but it goes to show how stressed she really was.

The Twilight Princess crossed her arms over her chest. Her intricate robes followed in a flowing manner as her patience kept ticking away from sight. She didn't understand why she even hesitated the moment she caught him approaching her room. She should have summoned the guards to take the man away from her sight. So why didn't she?

She didn't want to ruin the image of her father by killing the imposter. Not even for a second did she believe that it was her father paying one last visit. What was this, some classical movie or something? Nothing played out like the movies - let alone they didn't exist in this time period but we're digressing at the moment~ He was testing her patience, which she had so little as it was but it was simmering away grain by little grain. "Say what you need to say," she demanded; not at all in the mood to play games of idle prattle.

No, she didn't believe him. Not once did she ever believe him, but her mind was put in a state of chaos. When did the truth start to show, and when will the lies end? She had no need of ghost haunting her so early in the clutches of reality. He was never coming back. That was the only certainty she had to hold on to.

[Dark Link]

The shade wasn't really sure what to make of this. Was she buying it? Her tone didn't imply it, but she wasn't calling him out on it either. Maybe he should drop it? No. She wasn't calling him out on it, so he must have been making some progress in the matter. If he dropped it now, then he might have been falling for a trap or something. Though he could get out of that, so he wasn't sure what to do...

Yeah, let's keep it going.

Placing his arms behind his back, the imposter Wrapped a hand around the other's wrist. He began to take a few steps forward. He needed to keep up the act, keep the King's mannerisms, his actions, his tone, and his dialogue. "In truth, they have been conspiring for quite an amount of time." The shade had to admit, this was a lot harder than he thought it would be. Not to mention that he felt on the spot. He was having difficulty keeping this up, if only because his confidence was shaken.

"You can be assured it's not Zant." Not like it could be him. He had only been passed up just a bit earlier. He wouldn't have time to handle a revolt.

He would keep going though. This girl was really turning out to be sharper than he had expected. "However, as it is your rule, you shall be the one to deal with it." He turned his head to her. He really wondered if she bought it, and if not, why she wasn't trying to kill him. In a way, the shade didn't want things to resort to violence. Midna was needed, he couldn't afford injuring her to the point where she couldn't do anything, or worse, outright killing her.

"That is why you need to obtain a power that could stop a revolt." Right, now how was he going to explain this to her. "The problem is, this power is in the Light Realm, the one our kind was banished from. But... there is a way back there." Maybe he could use this trick as a way to make himself seem authentic? If he could pull that off, then maybe it would give him credibility, something he desperately needed. At this point, he was starting to realize she wasn't really buying it. The whole thing was standing on the edge of the knife, and he was frightened that he was going to slip. Especially due to the truth of the situation; there was no revolt.

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[Midna]

what are you waiting for?

just surrender here tonight as we go towards the light

Now it was a trial of wits, and tricks. How long could this charade be kept up? Midna could care less to be honest really, but it would seem on the shade's part it was a test of endurance. Would he succumb to the Twilight Princess's wiles or can he keep up the false impression of her father? He seemed bent on telling her something, but like most intruders had to drag it out so the tension was high in the atmosphere but not enough to stir up a fight. No, there would be no violence as long as she could help it. Not that she had any desire to cause anymore damage than what was already been done.

She was quite good at putting people on the spot, and pushing them to just try pull something out of their ass. It would appear that the imposter was trying his hardest not to lose control, which in turn was quite a light note to muse at~ For the most part, she was taking his words in one ear, and out the other finding. For one thing, even if there were a group of people intent on revolting against the sovereignty, it wouldn't come off as a surprise. There would be plenty of people out there who didn't like the doctrine of the twili laws since the banishment so long ago. While some have long forgotten that hatred, there were always the few behind that couldn't let go of their hatred of their ancestors. It didn't come off as hot off the press new to the princess...

No shit, sherlock, she remarked mentally. Zant took forever and a half to cool off; especially after he got jibbed of his chance of becoming leader of the Twilight. The last on his mind right now would be to plan out a rebellion against her. She wouldn't put it passed him, but it was too early in the game to be thinking he would do something like that so soon.

Now it was getting to the good part of the conversation. She could tell through natural instincts that he was finally getting to the prime of the whole conversation, and about time too. She quirked up hearing about the power that existed outside of their realm, and into another dimension. The Light Realm - or otherwise known as Hyrule was where her ancestor's power was shattered into fragments, and kept dormant after the Dark Interloper's banishment from the realm. She couldn't help but wonder if they were still in existent after all of these years.

"Go on~" she insisted. The clock was ticking. What really got her interest now was how after all of this time there was a way to travel across dimensions, and into the other realm. She didn't wish to be kept on standby.

[Dark Link]

To be honest, the urge to keep this going was slowly diminishing. He hated taking the form of another, and truth be told, she wasn't entirely buying it, he could tell. The girl was remaining a lot more wary than he would've liked. He wasn't happy, he had studied the Twilight King for months, but in the end, he couldn't completely convince the girl that her dad was at least trying to help her from beyond the grave. Though to be fair, no person in their right mind would ever believe that. It was a serious longshot, and truth be told, he was doing this on the gamble that she was too emotionally wounded to think it through.

Regardless, she was waiting for an answer. At this point, shifting into something else would just derail the conversation. He figured after this he could just leave, and maybe get out of this form. He really did not like impersonating others. Fairly odd, no? "It's a secret that's been passed to each ruler of the Twilight Realm, ever since our ancestors discovered it." Honestly, the shade was surprised that they hadn't actually figured out how to do this, as it wasn't really difficult. Hell, it was how Dark Link had actually gotten into the Twilight Realm, so surely someone else here would figure it out too, right? Apparently not.

"At dawn or dusk, for a brief moments, the two realms become one. By shifting your body into shadow, you can slip out through a shadow present in the Light Realm." That was the trick. That was how easy it should have been to discover. Simply shadowmeld at the right second, and they were home free. "When you do this though, you will end up at a different time. If you perform this at dusk, when you arrive, it will be dawn in the Light Realm, and vice versa."

But what was in the Light Realm? "Inside that realm lie the remaining pieces of the Fused Shadow. Gather all of them, and you'll gain an immense amount of power."

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[Midna]

what are you waiting for?

just surrender here tonight as we go towards the light

To be fair, Midna took everything like a perfectly balanced scale. She didn't acknowledge it as the truth entirely, but she didn't dismiss it as false information either. She knew how easy it was to manipulate the truth as a form of dominance in the spur of the moment. Knowledge was power, one night say~ When you knew enough to meld it into a strength on your part, it led to further extents of one's power. Some think that just because they held a substantial amount of knowledge meant they were superior than others. They believe they should be fit to hold dominion over everyone, and lead them however way they please. Unfortunately, for every ruler, to each their own way of ruling and it was far too soon for her to be making such judgements on her own actions.

In this case, it would be the power of her ancestors. Yes, she was rather curious about the fragments that were sealed away by the guardians of the Light Realm. However was it really worth the liabilities that laid in store for the descendants of the Dark Interlopers? There were multiple factors involved in such thoughts of venturing into the other realm. For instance, there was the sun to watch out for. The harsh rays of the sun could easily kill off any twili exposed to such light. The thought of being burned alive wasn't exactly a pleasant image~

Then there was the simple fact denizens of light would not welcome the twili with open arms. While in turn most have probably forgotten about their past long ago, she couldn't dismiss it entirely that creatures from another world would be subject to discrimination, and possible hate crimes.

Midna had a lot to be wary, and not just because she was putting the heat on the disguised shade. While the information he brought up was quite valuable by any means, she had to look out for what was best for her people. Ensuring that not only their safety was in tact, but also their happiness. It was fine to be powerful, but only if those hands that wield that power can look after the greater good for the people. Their lives were of the greatest importance to her - they were the blood of the society's body, which kept it functioning the way it did. A crown, and a kingdom was nothing unless it had substance to support that rule~

"Should I believe you," she inquired, "What importance would it serve to enter a realm that banished us so long ago? The Light Realm as you might be aware is not at all friendly to the twili, both physically, and socially. The liabilities at stake here, are they worth the journey?"

She hasn't even begin to think about the positive aspects of the adventure either yet~ It would offer her a chance to grow, learn new things, and explore things that she couldn't possibly have the chance to do while being secluded to only the Twilight. The people she would meet, and the places she could possibly see~ If she looked at it that way, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

[Dark Link]

Her words gave him an opportunity he was desiring. Throughout the conversation, he had been looking for an out, and she had given him one. Her questions, though vital, were ones that he felt that he didn't have to answer if he could just word things right. And of course, do them in a believable manner. He was glad. Not only was he convinced she wasn't 100% buying it, but he just wanted to get out of this form.

So, he just smiled. "Its importance is for you to decide. Whether it is all worth it is for you to decide. This is your reign, not mine, it should be for you to decide." There, he had given his excuse. Now he could just focus on getting the hell out of there. He didn't really like showing off some of his powers, but he figured that if he tried to leave the regular way, she would have someone follow him. At least by doing this, such a thing would be completely, and utterly impossible for her to do. He figured it was for the best.

So the shade started to dissolve. Little particles of shadow stared to break away from his form as he was fading into nothingness. "You will do what you believe is right. I have faith in your wisdom." He gave her his parting words as the rest of his body dissolved into shadow. With him gone, he started to immediately leave the area for places unknown. But, there was one last task for him to do, one that might just give the princess a hard time in the future, if he played this card just right.

Whether she tested it or not, he would spread the secret around the Twilight Realm~

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[EXIT | LIGHT REALM OPENED TO TWILI]

[Midna]

what are you waiting for?

just surrender here tonight as we go towards the light

If only it was her father speaking out to her in her desperate hour. Even for that moment, if she could allow herself that reprieve to believe he was there and tell her what to do, but her head knew better than to succumb to her heart's desires. Her father was long before gone from this world, and all that remained of his visage was what he placed within the Twilight Princess. Midna was no longer a child, and must make the right decision for herself.

Even if they didn't come straight forward or seem abstract at first glance - they were out there. Whether she liked it or not, she knew that staying in the Twilight Realm didn't guarantee safety, and the continuation of peace upon her kingdom. There were people, and places within the realm of light that would perhaps serve as a guide to what she truly needs to do what was best.

As much as she wanted to cry out, and hope that someone would hear her plight, there would only be silence. Midna glared at the dissolving image of her father's image. So much help he had been~ Good riddance as well. Her time would no longer be wasted on fakes, and ghosts anymore.

Time for a road trip~

[ fin ]