Chapter Eleven

Annabella was leaving.

Only Link, Malon, and Princess Zelda cared. They congregated in Hyrule Field near Roan's empty cottage. Malon came about half an hour after Link and the Princess. The trio that had fought Ganon had gone into Roan's cottage to explore a bit, and because Link wanted to know more about his deceased father.

"Annabella – this had your name on it." Princess Zelda handed Annabella something wrapped up in brown paper and bound with a twine rope. Using a pocket knife found on Roan's table, Annabella undid the rope and opened up the brown paper. The first thing she noticed was a folded up piece of parchment, which she drew from the package and opened up.

Dear Annabella: If you are reading this, then it means that I have revealed that I am a ghost and now I have disappeared from your realm. Hopefully, you have defeated Ganon.

I am glad that you came to Link's aid and cleared up the issue with Princess Zelda. You might have been curious as to how I knew that the Princess was nobility of birth and you were still you. Being a ghost, I could slip in and out of sight easily. I found the King of Hyrule and searched his memories. No memories of getting furious at the Queen for having an affair. No memories of getting a replacement daughter. You are you, Annabella, not Princess Zelda. I hope that you are happy being yourself.

Inside this package is something that you may keep. I rescued it in the same fashion that I retrieved the Master Sword: unable to die again and unable to be seen, I stealthily crept into Kokiri Forest to rescue this. It is the way I paid you back for bringing me my son so that I knew that he was alive and well.

Let my son know I love him dearly.

With regards,

Roan

Annabella reached into the package and felt rounded glass. She withdrew it and gasped with delight.

"He…oh, you got a faerie!" exclaimed Link, taking a closer look at the bulb of light in the jar.

"Oh…oh no! I cannot take her away from Kokiri Forest; I cannot take her from her home!" cried Annabella frantically. She gazed at the faerie, who was floating gently and seemed to be facing Annabella. "Um…Link? I know this might be a lot to ask, but would you…would you mind looking after her until I one day return?"

"You plan on returning?" asked Princess Zelda, sounding slightly surprised and pleased.

"Why, yes!" replied Annabella. "In a couple of years, I mean. When we are official adults." Annabella smiled shyly at Link. "I…I wouldn't want to ruin your second try at a childhood."

Link laughed. "You wouldn't be doing that, Annabella! It was a pleasure to meet you."

Now, the quartet stood in the dying sunlight. Annabella held the Ocarina of Time in one hand, nervous about leaving. She gazed at the two blondes and the one redhead standing in front of her. But her eyes remained on the tallest figure.

"Link," she began in a pleading tone, "will you please come back to Earth with me?"

Link was taken aback by this proposal. "I…I truly do not know what to say."

"Say yes!" cried Annabella. "You will be worshiped, Link, by every otaku I know! They would love you! You'd be famous!"

"I can't go, Annabella," answered Link, shaking his head.

"Why not?" she asked. She felt like she was going to cry. "Why won't you come to Earth with me? Link – I love you!"

There was a stunned silence, and then Link shook his head once more. "I'm sorry, Annabella, but my love is here. My love is for Hyrule and my friends. When one accomplishes as much as I have – you know all about my adventures! – then you cannot be separated from the land from which you come from. My love is for Hyrule, for adventure. That is the love of a hero."

Annabella cast her blurry eyes upon the Ocarina of Time. "I…I'm sorry," she blustered. "I'm so sorry! I never meant any of this to happen!"

"Annabella, no! I'm glad to have met you! I just can't leave Hyrule, just like you could never be permanently separated from your home…could you?" asked Link.

"No," whispered the girl, "I couldn't. I'm sorry. I'll…I'll go now."

There was another silence, then Malon interrupted it. "You may keep my clothes, Annabella. It is only two outfits which you borrowed. Keep them…so that when you come back, you may fit in." She smiled.

Princess Zelda nodded. "Yes! Come back when we are true adults."

First Malon and Annabella, and the Princess Zelda and Annabella embraced. Annabella whispered "goodbye" to Link, and then put the ocarina to her lips.

"We will be waiting for you, Annabella," called the Princess as a whirlwind picked Annabella up for the last time for a very long while.

OoO

Annabella woke up. She was in her bed, her Earth bed. She was in Hyrule no longer.

Annabella glanced at the clock. It read ten-oh-four am…Saturday morning. Her weekend spent in Hyrule could have been a detailed dream.

"Was it a dream?" she whispered to herself, sliding out of bed and making her way to the kitchen to grab a bite of breakfast.

"Hi Annabella," greeted her mother, glancing up from the newspaper. "What's up? Hey…where'd you get those pyjamas from? Looks kinda like a dress."

Annabella gaped at her mother for a moment, perplexed, then let out a gasp of comprehension. She stumbled backwards out of the kitchen and back into her room, throwing open her closet and peering at her reflection.

She let tears of happiness drip down her chin. She had gone to Hyrule, she had met Link and Princess Zelda and Malon…it wasn't a dream. It was real! If it had been a dream, then why was she clothed in the outfit that Malon had given her?

Annabella lay on her bed and wept for a long time. Sometimes it is good to let a teenaged girl cry, instead of having parents and friends always rushing about trying to make everything better. Tears were the natural way for a girl going through adolescence to heal oneself.

Annabella missed Link. She had loved him, but he did not feel anything except friendship back. He did not love her. He had blatantly told her that he'd rather stay in Hyrule.

'And so would I,' thought Annabella sadly.

OoO

Annabella had cried herself to sleep. When she woke up, she had stripped off Malon's outfit and laid it out on her bed. One shirt pocket near the waist had a suspicious lump in it. She snuck her hand into it and felt parchment. She withdrew two sheets of it and read the few words written on one:

Annabella, it is I, Princess Zelda, writing to you. By now you must be back home. Some day, we might visit you. You never know.

I have written to you to let you know that when you reach age twenty-one, you should come visit us. I will be ready for your return – and so will Link.

Enclosed are the correct notes to play the melody to transport 'twist Hyrule and your land…your Earth.

Link is taking good care of your faerie. Her name is Veeti, and she also waits to meet you.

Visit us when you turn twenty-one. We will be patient and away your arrival.

Your friend, always,

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule

Well...Annabella's back home. It wasn't a dream. Everything's all hunky-dory. You DO know what that means, right? (sigh) Yep. Epilogue is next chapter. As soon as I finish that chapter, I might try reading some of my lovely reviewer's stories. I might write another story, but I don't have a real idea. I might repost a story I have about a girl named Sagitta and a boy named Amao...but I forget the name (cries). The story is still fresh in my mind, however. Actually, I don't know if I even deleted it from here...

Well, if I ever do get back to that story, I hope that you guys will, as ever, faithfully read! I'm going to check out on that story's status and then write the Epilogue...(sobs).