I'm sorry for my slow pace. I think I just lost my interest in writing for a while. I'm glad I found it again, though!

I'm also sorry if I used the wrong word and you were expecting a long sequel. In fact, I only meant to write a short epilogue, like this one… I hope you like it. I'm quite tired of this story now, and I want to write other things.

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Epilogue: Hand in hand

"Look, mother, look at the flower!"

A little boy, who only seemed to be about the age of five or six, eagerly pointed at the white, frail, round plant on the ground, its stem swaying slowly in the wind.

"It's been a dandelion, Marth", a young woman explained. The boy furrowed his brow and bit his lip, apparently trying to grasp that the white ball had been a yellow flower. The woman smiled and laughed at his confusion. She squatted down to his level, and pointed at the small plant.

"This plant consists of seeds, dandelion seeds", she continued. "They spread in the wind at the right time, and fly far, far away, and once they reach the ground, they grow and make new flowers."

"They do?" the boy asked. The woman, who was tall and slim, laughed softly. Sometimes she couldn't believe that the boy was her own son. They were each other's opposite, at least in appearance. She had long, blonde tresses and dazzling blue eyes, while he was teal-haired and had eyes that were dark, yet bright. They were glowing with interest as he examined the trivial plant.

"Look at this, Marth", his mother said. She carefully picked the plant, and held it close to her rosy lips. She blew softly, and the white, feather-like ball immediately shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, it exploded into a white cloud, which was soon blown away by the wind.

The boy watched it disappear. The woman rose and brushed her clothes off. People who didn't know her would be able to tell she was of high status just from looking at her clothing. She wore clothes most people wouldn't think of as suitable for a walk through the woods.

"Veilla!"

The woman spun around at the sound of her name being called. She reached out her hand for the child, and he took it unhesitantly. Walking toward the sound of the voice, which was male, they soon disappeared between the trees.

Zelda awoke. Sighing heavily, she realized that it had been a mere dream. Now, she felt only a great disappointment.

She glanced at the man beside her. His breathing was steady and soothing, she thought. A strand of pale, silvery moonlight made him look almost angelic. His eyelids fluttered a little, and she wondered whether he was also dreaming.

Her thoughts wandered. Her mother had been dead for many years – but this was the very first time Zelda had ever dreamt about her. Marth, the older brother she had looked up to and loved, had died after a ferocious fire ravaged Kakariko some months ago. Zelda couldn't even remember whether it had been three months, or half a year. The previous months had been tiring, completely exhausting. She hadn't been able to sleep one night through in a very long time.

That's what my mother looks like… what she looked like. She was beautiful, Zelda thought. She forced herself into a sitting position, and pulled her legs up, resting her cheek on her knees. Shivering somewhat, she pulled the comforter closer to her body. I've never thought about it before, I've never wondered what she looked like. Impa used to say that I looked so much like her. Zelda gave a slight chuckle, but stopped when realizing that she did not want to wake Link up. She's right. I do…

Her eyes narrowed. If it hadn't been for her… she would still have been alive.

If it wasn't for Rose… but there was no need in thinking that way. Nothing could ever change the past.

Zelda slid the covers off her body, and shuddered as her bare feet touched the cold stone floor. She tiptoed to the balcony door, and slid it open. Leaving the door ajar, she strode over to the balcony rail. How many times had she not stood here, watching the castle gardens and listening to the noise of town? But not tonight. Tonight was different somehow – it was completely quiet. Not a breeze in the foliage, nor a rustle in the grass…

She didn't hear the quiet creaking as the door slid open. Nor did she catch the sound of bare feet behind her. She suddenly felt a pair of warm, wet lips and a hot breath on her neck and jumped.

"I… I couldn't sleep", she said.

"Why?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Bad dream. No, not bad, really… I dreamt about mother – and Marth. I've never dreamt about my mother before. They were… they were picking flowers… it sounds stupid."

She felt Link shake his head. "No, it doesn't. I heard you leave. Why did you go out here? It's a bit chilly."

She nodded. "I like this place. You see how you can see the castle gardens from here? And the town beyond them. You can even see Hyrule Field from here! It's so beautiful in the mornings. I use to stand here and watch the sun rise."

He smiled. "That's just like you. You love beautiful things."

"I love you", said Zelda sheepishly.

He pulled her even closer. "I'm glad it's all over."

"So am I."

"Our country is returning to normal. Parents can watch their children grow up without having to worry about the future. You'll make Hyrule's future bright, Zelda."

Her voice was suddenly sad. "What about… you?"

"I will decide when the time comes, and your father no longer can rule this country. But I don't think I could ever become King. I'm not even born regal… but no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you… if you need it."

For a while they remained that way, embracing tightly, enjoying each other's company. Zelda felt a slight breeze tousle her hair, and closed her eyes. Everything was returning to normal. The people would forget. Kakariko Village would be rebuilt. But the pain she had felt when losing her brother, the torment she went through as she found out that Rose had murdered her mother – they would never disappear. They would fade, yes, but never vanish completely. Zelda could never repress them; they would always be a part of her.

"It's getting cold", whispered Link softly in her ear. "Let's go to bed…" She giggled as he swept her off her feet, carrying her to bed. Sighing, she watched him close the balcony door. When he turned around, he was smiling.

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It actually took some courage to post this. I don't know whether I should have posted the epilogue or not. It's up to you to decide if you review.

Lost and Found was my second story, but it's the first I'm finishing. Sometimes, I thought it would never get this far. I was considering giving up, and discontinuing it. Now I'm glad I didn't. It's mainly due to my reviewers. Without people encouraging me, praising me and helping me develop as an author, I wouldn't be writing this.

I've been writing on this story much longer than I ever thought I would… almost a year! It didn't end up like I expected, not even like I wanted to. But I couldn't control it. It 'wrote itself', in a way.

I could never name every reviewer, but I'm grateful to everybody who has given my story their support! Some of you have helped me a lot, you've given me ideas and opinions, and shared your thoughts with me. I'm especially thankful to the frequent reviewers, of which some people have reviewed throughout the entire story.

I have a dictionary. It's striped, the stripes are light blue, and dark blue. My mom bought it to me. I'd like to say that it started it all. It's pretty worn by now. Its spine is beginning to come off. I've flipped the pages back and forth hundreds of times. I call it my 'Lost and Found-dictionary'. Now, when I've finished the story, maybe I'll get myself a new one.

Once again, thank you!