Chapter Seven
The silver-haired man in the doorway regarded Link with cool eyes that matched his hair. He raised his bushy eyebrows as though to say, Well…aren't you going to talk?
"Ex—excuse me, but are you Roan?" asked Link.
"Yes I am. And you are Link, Hero of Time."
Even though the trio was surprised by Roan's knowledge, they did not ask how he knew this information. It was strange, but each one had a small feeling telling them that they were to have expected Roan to know this, and that it was not a huge deal that he knew such a fact.
"Come in, come in – Link, Princess," Roan's eyes shot at Annabella and seemed to run through her with a cold steel knife. Annabella felt a connection to this man, but could not place it, nor explain it. "Ah. You must be…the, ah…the foreigner."
Annabella nodded. It did not occur to her to question how Roan knew such things; she just accepted it as though it was natural.
"Step in." Roan's words were not an invitation, but an order. Annabella obeyed swiftly and noticed that Link and Princess Zelda were seated in two chairs. There was an empty chair placed next to the Princess, which Annabella slipped into.
"I know vaguely why you three have approached me," began Roan, "but you must give me the details. I know you are Link, Hero of Time, and you are Princess Zelda. I know of your adventures, Hero, and how the Princess sent you backwards in time to relive your childhood." Roan's eyes fell upon Annabella. "I don't know your name. What I know is not small, but not all that important: your past, where you are from, your overwhelming love for Hyrule, and how you were mysteriously teleported here."
"My name is Annabella," supplied the young girl.
"I know that you wonder how I know this. It is natural. No, I do not read thoughts – well, I suppose it is slightly like that. I know your memories. Only memories, not a story that a parent might have told you about when you were a child."
Link leaned forward in his chair. "If that is so, then why did you not know Annabella's name?"
Roan looked over Link coolly. "Has it ever occurred to you that when you are informed of your name, it is your parents telling you a story of your naming? I only know your name because one of the most prominent memories in your mind is one of you telling someone of your name. And, well, Princess – " he gave a kindly smile – "you are quite popular in Hyrule." Roan paused. "Annabella's most prominent thought was – " he paused, then continued on with: "a private one. Now, tell me, you came here because of your vision. And…I will tell you about a rumor started almost fifteen years ago."
Roan looked at Annabella, Princess Zelda, and then at Link. Rain loudly splashed against the windows, but Roan's soft speech seemed to overpower the rain:
"I heard this rumor always being discussed, but I believed that it was just that – a rumor. However, Annabella, your appearance here has changed my opinion drastically. The rumor went thus:
"The Queen of Hyrule had an affair with a man that was not pure Hylian, thus giving him flaws that would be distinct in a child. She gave birth to a young girl…with rounded ears, a trait of the other man. Infuriated, the King of Hyrule asked a great wizard to take this baby to another world and bring back an identical child with pointed ears. It took three months – during which the Queen remained in the castle, speaking to no one – but then the baby was found, and brought back. The wizard died when you three would have only been five. Princess Zelda…you were believed to have been that child brought back."
Tears pricked up in Princess Zelda's eyes. "I'm…from Earth? I've been living…living in a lie?"
Roan's silvery eyes regarded Princess Zelda with sympathy. "It would seem so, milady. I had never believed this rumor…but why else would you two look alike?"
Tears overwhelmed the pretty eyes. Princess Zelda ran from Roan's cottage into the evening rain, not caring about becoming drenched and washed in mud.
"Zelda!" shouted Link, but the Princess kept on running.
"So…I'm a…a Hylian? I'm the—the—the—the real…Pr-Princess Zelda?" whispered Annabella, unable to process this information, nor believe it.
"If the rumors are true," replied Roan. He turned his back to them, fumbling with a cloth on his table. "Oh, yes, Link – I believe that you own this."
Roan handed the Master Sword to Link as the two guests gasped. "But—but—but—but – " spluttered Annabella, "it seals away Ganondorf, right! Right?"
Roan leaned down and whispered in Annabella's ear so that Link could not hear. "He has already escaped. Truly, there is not way for Ganondorf to be permanently sealed up. Why else do you think that it has rained for three days now?" Roan straightened up, chuckling. "Please, Link, watch after Princess Zelda and Annabella. And…please be careful."
Link nodded as he strapped the weapon to his back. After saying "goodbye", he and Annabella exited the cottage.
They began to walk towards Lon Lon Ranch. Annabella was lost in the dizzying idea that she could be Princess Zelda. It was impossible. Purely impossible.
Link grabbed Annabella's forearm and pointed towards a dark shadow flitting across Hyrule Field.
"Hold this," muttered Link, handing over his equipment bag to Annabella. He unsheathed the Master Sword, glancing about nervously. "I…this body is unused to the Master Sword. Please, Annabella, hold my bag."
Link and Annabella slowly advanced, dashing rain from their eyes every few minutes. Annabella was still in a daze about the possibility of her, plain old Annabella, being Princess Zelda. It was impossible. Those rumors were impossible. But…why would Roan lie?
Annabella suddenly found herself tripping over the hem of her skirts yet again. As she gave a yell of fright, she did not find herself crashing into the mud, but instead traveling down a dark hole. Link whipped about and leapt forward to grasp her hand, but began to fall, too. Their yells echoed around the tunnel and they landed on a stone floor, which surprisingly did not crush their bones.
"So…you are the real Zelda?" came a malicious, rough voice. Annabella lifted up her head to see Link unconscious, the Master Sword knocked from his hand. She was forcefully reminded in the final battle scene of The Wind Waker.
A blue, hairy creature with a pink snout and long, sharp fangs protruding upwards from his lower lips was visible through the gloom. A red cape was draped about his shoulders, matching his harsh eyes. In simple words, he was a pig-demon.
Ganon the pig-demon.
"You leave Annabella alone," rasped Link, sitting up and reaching for the Master Sword.
"Shut up!" screamed Ganon, pointing a claw at Link, who was violently picked up and thrown again the chamber wall. He slumped down, unconscious, a trail of blood trickling from his golden hair.
"I must harness the power of the Triforce. Forever, I have longed to show the world true power. No weak Hylian would understand it under I showed them. Obviously, that 'Zelda' was not good enough to give me true power. You will! You have the Triforce of Wisdom, do you not!"
"Leave Annabella alone!" shouted Link, leaping to his feet angrily.
And then, Link was bound by ropes. Annabella gaped at the pig-demon before her, her heart beating quickly.
"You are doomed to die as soon as I capture the Triforce of Wisdom, maiden!" shrieked Ganon. He lifted a claw, and a writhing ball of purple flames leapt there.
"Annabella! Use the Master Sword! Protect yourself!" cried out Link. Annabella ducked low to the ground and retrieved the Master Sword.
She was not strong enough to wield the weapon properly. Her eblows ached before she had even had a proper grip on it. Trying to ignore the pain in her arms, she swung the weapon and wildly missed. Ganon tossed his fire at Annabella, who screamed and ducked, rolling out of the way.
Annabella stabbed wildly at Ganon once more. She missed, and a ball of fire crashed into her. The breath from whipped from her lungs as she soared through the air, smashing into the wall of the dark chamber. She held Link's equipment bag away from the ground, trying to protect the Ocarina of Time inside of it.
"Annabella! Play the ocarina song! The one that transports you to Hyrule Field! Get Zelda! She can help! She will help!" shouted Link.
'My dream!' thought Annabella, automatically taking out the Ocarina of Time. She put it to her lips and played the song that had first gotten her into this mess.
She was lifted up and whipped about in a magical whirlwind. When she opened her eyes, she was kneeling…
On her bed.
Annabella let out a scream of frustration, tears falling along with the rain.