(Awww...the strike-through in the title isn't working. I had it all artistic and everything...oh well. The incorrect grammar is intentional though!)

Speaking of grammatical errors, I do a lot of legal writing now, so I am in the habit of putting two spaces after every period. Please ignore it. I didn't even realize it until a good chunk in and I am wayyyy too lazy to go back and fix it all.

I have received some very lovely messages during my absence. Twilight Tulip sent me a wonderful message and Skydragon74193 asked me to write a fic in honor of Twilight Princess HD. This may be late, but this fic is for you! Thank you for supporting me in spite of my long hiatus from writing!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction when I'm supposed to be working. xD

"unBreakable" is rated K+ for the mild language, drug use, and dark themes.

unBreakable
A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction

"BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!"

I winced, my whole body shuddering as the boisterous cackle went up my spine. He didn't have to laugh that loud.

"Hoohoo, Zelda, the beautiful, almighty princess of Hyrule is terrified of an itsy-bitsy bug? Never fear my good lady, the unbreakable Hero is here to save the day!"

Hmph. This particular brand of not-so-itsy-bitsy bug was known as a Hylian Roach, and despite my best efforts, four arrows directly to the brain did not kill it, leaving me in a vulnerable, defenseless state and running to my hero. What does he do? He pulls out his sword and slashes it cleanly in two. When even thatis not enough, he slices it in teeny-tiny little pieces and fanboys over its innards, which are apparently both neon green and electric purple at the same time. Boys. I will never understand.

So Zelda, the beautiful, almighty princess of Hyrule was scared of bugs. Well, when hordes of evil bugs zap the precious light out of your people and country, you see how you feel! Sure, the invasion may have been two years ago, but everything that happened during that tumultuous time continued to haunt me in both my waking moments and my dreams. If it wasn't for the fact my cocky, asshole of a hero was by my side every night, I would probably cry myself to sleep.

It happened about a year and a half ago…

Unable to sleep due to the constant screams of death, agony, pain, and turmoil of all the people I couldn't save in the Twilight Invasion, I frequented Telma's Bar, where I would down at least three gallons of milk in the span of about an hour. It was the only thing that finally brought me peaceful rest. I always wore all black with a bandit's mask I borrowed from an invader that dared to rob Hyrule Castle, determined even then to retain my dignity as Princess Zelda, the unflappable, unbreakable, and the unstoppable.

Every time I passed out, a light brown cloak was always draped around my shoulders when I awoke. I always assumed Telma did it – the kindly bar keeper had a heart of gold. However, one time, I awoke as even the alcohol wasn't enough to silent the desperate wails, to feel a warm, comforting hand on my back and a pair of discerning yet concerned eyes fixated on my being. My tears so violent they were apparent even on the dark garment that cloaked my face, he placed a gentle, war-scarred hand on my face.

"These tears do not suit you, beautiful."

Appalled that he would make a pass at such a damaged, vulnerable maiden in the wee hours of the morning in a littered old bar, my own discerning blue eyes narrowed and I smacked him across the face with all of my might. I expected him to make some smart-ass comment about how a lady shouldn't be drinking her troubles away in a seedy bar at night and certainly shouldn't hit people, but instead he erupted in jubilant laughter.

Still a bit tipsy from all the alcohol I consumed, my emotions ran largely out of check, finding myself getting angrier and angrier with this pathetic so-called hero in front of me. I was so engrossed in his lame and insensitive comment that I almost didn't notice the dark circles that plagued him not unlike my own. What time was it? Certainly past ordinary bar-visiting hours. Why wasn't he in bed, rather, why wasn't he in Ordon? I didn't need his services at this time.

Wiping a tear, this one of amusement rather than sorrow, out of his eye, he grinned at me.

"That's my girl."

I raised my eyebrow, the effects of the alcohol quickly wearing off. Hisgirl? Excuse me? I was Zelda, almighty princess of Hyrule, and I belonged to absolutely no one.

"Your girl?" I huffed.

His expression softened, his blue eyes quickly turning downcast, as if he was a little wolf puppy begging for food. "So it is you," he said quietly, refusing to meet my eyes. "Goddesses, just once I'd like to be wrong."

What in the heck did he mean by that? Of courseit's me. Who else would dare have the nerve to hit Hyrule's greatest Hero other than…

…oh.

In that moment, I realized that I fell for his trap hook, line, and sinker like I always did.

I was completely cloaked in black from head to toe in black garments. I even wore a robber's mask. I never spoke to the locals and engaged in any bar pleasantries. The only things visible were my blue eyes. Heck, it wasn't even completely obvious that I was a woman because my bulky clothes disguised my body frame. I'd gone to such lengths on purpose. I didn't want anyone, not a single soul, to know that I was suffering, tormented by my failures as a princess.

He knew me well enough that I would never admit it, so he tricked me into doing something only I would do so he could confirm it was me. But how…how did he know? How did he know I wasn't a random patron at the bar?

"You knew?" I finally croaked out, shocked at how hoarse my voice was.

"Not initially," he said, adjusting his position on the crooked bar stool and placing one of his legs on the counter to stretch it out. "At first, I thought you were some random creepy dude and kept my distance. But…" he paused, clearing his own voice as his throat was just as hoarse as mine was, nervously playing with his left hand, massaging the Triforce mark. "I just…I just knew it was you. I think your Triforce was calling out to mine, or some magic mumbo-jumbo that you probably know much better than I do. Once I started to suspect it was you, I decided to look at your face, and I saw your eyes, and then I really knew."

I frowned instinctively at my own matching Triforce mark. Little bugger was worse than my mother. But yet…

My frown morphed into a smile, still hidden behind my mask, and I rubbed the mark tenderly.

Thank you.

It made sense that we were connected, after all, Link went through a similar trauma to save Hyrule. I didn't know exactly how many dead people he witnessed, how many people he killed, or how close he came to death, but I was sure he had his fair share of hardships that he endured. If that was the case…

"How?" I croaked out, still unable to make my voice sound normal. He tilted his head inquisitively at me, and I cleared my throat. "How can you smile throughout all the pain I know you must feel?"

Link paused for a moment, biting the tips of his fingers as he thought about how he wanted to answer. Even though he was extremely charismatic when it came to interacting with others and he had an uncannily keen insight into other's thoughts and emotions, he was completely dense when it came to himself. After a pregnant pause, he seemed satisfied with his answer.

"There's no debate that I encountered hardships," Link answered softly. "I've seen everything – from innocent children stolen from their families to entire civilizations frozen under a thick barrier of ice, doomed to die a slow and painful death." He gave an almost sarcastic laugh. "I've made a lot of stupid mistakes, mistakes so asinine that they have caused people to suffer and even disappear."

As he spoke, I instinctively took his left hand in mine, massaging his Triforce mark as I felt the emotion within him struggle to stay contained. Just like I expected, we were two of a kind, two important players of destiny trapped by fate and expectations we could never live up to. He stroked my hand, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upwards in a teeny smile, seemingly grateful for my contact. After my hand took his, he shook his head and nodded, the familiar mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"That all being said, I am pretty amazing. For every mistake I made, I did ten things right. For every person that suffered, at least ten people smiled. That's why I can get through it. That's how I can deal with it. Because I did my duty as a Hero and I helped save this beautiful land of Hyrule."

I could feel the Triforce mark under my fingertips radiate in a gentle glow, this time from the never-failing courage that dwelled within him. I sighed despite myself. This was why he was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage…he had this uncanny ability to forever remain positive and strong, regardless of the circumstances…

As I looked up at him and noticed that stupid, goofy childish grin and couldn't help but giggle. As I giggled, the cloak that draped my shoulders gently fell on the floor. I bent to pick it up, but Link beat me to it, gracefully scooping it up and placing it on my shoulders in one fell swoop. I touched the cloak, relishing in the soft fabric and gentle smell of hay. Smell of hay…of course. How did I not realize it was Link's before?

"It smells like you," I blurted out sheepishly.

Link returned my sheepish smile. "It was my mother's," he said. "It's the only thing I have left from her. It always brought me comfort when I had nightmares as a little kid, so I thought maybe it could do the same for you."

His mother's? My eyes widened. Here I was, thinking it was some dusty ol' cloak that he never wore and just happened to have on hand. I had no idea that every night he entrusted me with an item that was so incredibly important to him.

I didn't know much about his parents' deaths, as he never spoke about it. One day I had way too much time on my hands and I scoured the public records in the castle, discovering that Link's father was actually a very well-respected soldier in our army, so good he was usually tasked with dangerous covert missions. After many successes, he finally made a slight error, revealing his true identity to a terrible gang member. Despite his attempts to flee to the edges of Hyrule with his wife and newborn son, they were hunted down and killed. How Link survived was a mystery to anyone.

Shocked that he would bestow such a precious item onto me, I instinctively started to take it off before he stopped me.

"No," he said firmly. "Keep it. Please. You need it a lot more than I do."

"But, Link…." I started to protest when he laid a gentle finger over my mouth to shush me.

"Please," he begged, his eyes filled with both a desire to protect and an immense sadness at the same time. "I don't need it right now. If it brings you even the slightest bit of comfort, I want you to have it. If I need it somewhere down the line, then you can give it back to me."

I clutched the fabric in my fingers, and as I did, I could swear I felt the gentle hug of a kind mother embrace me.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "Don't worry, I'll give you back to your son soon."

Link shook his head, slapped his cheeks as if he needed to wake himself up, and straightened, a huge, mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"I wouldn't count on it. I am the unbreakable Hero, after all."

Shortly after that, we became a couple. How could our relationship develop in any other way? We were connected through fate, destiny, and experience. As much as I hated to admit it, he was the reason I slept in a normal bed. He was the reason I didn't drown my sorrows in alcohol. I had him every night, by my side, embracing me in that sweet touch, his mother's cloaked still draped over my shoulders. The trauma has gotten better since then, and I was slowly starting to come to terms with the fact that yes, there were people I hadn't saved, but there were so many more people that I had managed to save.

Which brought me to the present.

"Would you shut up and get that mess cleaned up!?" I screamed at my hero, unable to stand his vomit-inducing cackling for a moment longer. Ugh. The disgusting creatures' innards stained our once-white walls into a psychedelic Star Game wannabe. Link was poking the carcass with one of my arrows. Usually, I'm all for saving arrows, but these I wanted buried in a ditch somewhere, never to be used again.

"It's just a bug, love," he said, unable to contain snorts of laughter. "It's probably a lot more scared of you than you are of it."

Sure, it was just a bug, and even though it was monstrous for a bug, it was still no bigger than my foot. I was easily twenty times the size of the beast. Also, Hylian Roaches were completely harmless and had no way of causing any harm to Hylians. No poison, no stings, no bites, no nothing. But if I cast aside all semblances of logic, they started to turn blue in color, wings appearing on their back, sucking the life and light out of every inch of…

"Zelda." Link's concerned voice derailed my train of thought instantly, his voice devoid of any teasing or playful demeanor. He knew me well enough to know what was going through my brain. He knew the road I was starting to go down, the same road that led me to panic, paranoia, depression, and alcohol consumption.

"It's just a bug," I whispered, trying unsuccessfully to keep my limbs from shaking like a Chu. Yes. It was just a little insect, completely harmless, incapable of stealing the light from this world…"

"Zelda," Link repeated, dropping the arrow he was playing with and walking over to my side, pulling me close to him in a sweet embrace. "I assure you, even on the off-chance it was one of those demon bugs from hell; the insects themselves were not responsible for the spread of Twilight in our land. The only one capable of such a feat is gone, never to return again. After all, we killed him, together."

It was with those sweet words in that tender embrace that my panic subsided and I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling his chest fondly. He was a master of calming my panic attacks, balancing them with both sweet touches and sound logic, the two things I needed to overcome any senseless panic. Just a year ago, I would have been thrust into a panic attack, tormented by even the thought of these insects despite the fact I never directly dealt with them, hearing screams that would haunt my dreams until I drowned them with alcohol. Now, I had him, and he was all I needed.

I was so caught up in my own panic that I almost didn't notice his own heart racing.

The day was filled with sunshine, rainbows, and horseback riding, where Link and I rode side by side, laughing over some childish game. He extended his hand towards me and I giggled, holding my own left hand out so our wedding rings were dancing in the sunlight. As my hand brushed against his, instead of feeling a sweet spark of chemistry, I was rocked with an excruciating pain that left my hand completely numb…

The pain was so debilitating I couldn't help but scream, my serene dream shattered as I shook awake, my hair clinging onto the layer of sweat that coated my trembling body. I gasped for air, clutching my hand over my heart.

"Link," I breathed, desperately craving his comfort and attention as I was suffering from pain and paranoia. I expected to be swept up in his gentle embrace. I expected to hear his soothing voice, whispering sweet nothings to calm my racing heart…

…there was only silence.

"Link?" I called, my voice a little louder this time. As in response to my call, the Triforce mark on my hand glowed in the moonlight, pain radiating even further from the bottoms of my soles to the tippy tops of my fingers.

I just knew it was you. I think your Triforce was calling out to mine…

My eyes widened in shock. Was this…was this what Link felt all those nights when I drank myself to sleep? If that truly was the case, then…then…

"LINK!" I screamed, leaping out of my bed and running as fast as my legs could take me. I didn't even bother to grab a lantern, slippers, or a proper robe. I didn't care what attendants heard me, I didn't care what the staff members would gossip about tomorrow morning, I ran. At first, I had no idea where I was running, but somehow I effortlessly navigated throughout the massive castle. I didn't know exactly where he was, but yet I did know at the same time.

Before long, my panicked legs running even faster than I ever knew they could, I found myself at the doors of the castle stables. Standing barefoot in a pile of squishy mud, my hair a rat's nest, and only half clothed with his mother's cloak still guarding my fragile frame, I closed my eyes and braced myself for what I was about to find.

The door squeaked, an ear-splitting creak, and opened. I hesitantly wandered in, awkwardly waving to the horses as they stirred, wondering who the name of the Goddesses kept disturbing their sleep. I heard a whinny and I recognized it was Epona. It was if she already knew it was me and beckoned me over.

As I cautiously made my way through the stables to the back, I could hear what only could be classified was stifled, hitched sobbing.

It broke my heart as I knew immediately who those cries belonged to.

"Link," I whispered, tears of my own coming to the forefront.

He was lying on the ground, his head buried in Epona's mane. Epona herself was also lying down, using her massive body to cradle Link's body. As I approached, Epona shook her head fondly and whisked her tail in my general direction. Laying down could be very dangerous for horses, but I did not doubt that it was a sacrifice Epona was more than willing to make for her beloved master.

Link had to be in a rough state emotionally, because there is no way in Twilight he would consciously allow his horse to partake in such a dangerous activity on his behalf. Not to mention, despite Epona's best efforts, she was only a horse and could not possibly provide the company that Link so desperately craved.

"Epona, may I?" I asked quietly. With a humanlike nod, Epona promptly stood, gently nudging Link off of her and into a pile on the ground so I could tend to him. As I held my arms out to him, the horse started playing with her hay to make a nest we could cuddle in.

I had never seen Link in such a state. His golden hair was stained a muddy brown, no doubt from lying on the ground of a horse stable. He had strands of hay stuck in odd places in his hair, his porcelain skin stained brown from the muck. His eyes and nose were completely red and his face was soaked from both tears and snot.

"My Link," I breathed, pulling him into a gentle embrace. For a tender moment, he nuzzled me fondly, allowing himself to wail as if no one was watching. Unfortunately, it was only for a moment as his eyes widened, realizing that it was me and pulled back abruptly, furiously rubbing at his nose.

"Zelda." He could hardly speak between his sobs, his voice distorted from the pain. He looked away from me. "What are you doing awake? Princesses need their beauty rest." He attempted to regain some of his familiar sarcasm, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

"I was worried about you." I reached out for him, yearning to be the same guiding light for him that he always was for me. To my dismay, he pulled away, giving a choked laugh.

"I'm a glutton for punishment," he said, trying to mask a sob with a cough. "I wanted to spend some time with Epona because I can't ride her as much as I used to and night is the only time I'm free, but I forget that the hay is absolute murder for my allergies."

Allergies? Really, Link? That's what you're going with?

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation. That was the worst possible excuse he could ever come with. Link wasn't allergic to anything, let alone hay. Hay was his favorite scent and he'd stay in the stables purposely so he could smell like it. Saying he was allergic to Epona would have been more believable.

I knew he had an ego larger than the Hylian continent and enough pride to cover five people, but…

"Why?" I asked, my own voice trembling not unlike his. "Why are you doing this?"

"You see, I cleaned Epona's stable today and…Zelda?" He had still been rambling his stupid excuse when he noticed my emotional state. He gave a congested sniffle, maneuvering himself so he could embrace me, kissing me softly on the cheek, his damp cheek brushing against mine. Usually, I would relish in his gentle touch and be filled with immediate warmth, but…

I pushed him away, standing up and moving to tend to Epona, running my fingers through her silky mane. She nuzzled me in thanks, a soft whinny escaping her instinctively.

I could see Link's bright blue eyes shine with tears in the moonlight that crept through the stall's window. The look of his face was that of true befuddlement, dismayed that his precious princess would dare push him away in her time of need…

"Zelda," he whimpered, standing up on shaking legs, reaching to hold me. I huffed, my rattled hair swishing angrily against my back as I moved to the other side, using Epona as a giant shield. As if she knew what I was thinking, Epona used her massive body to softly pin Link against the side of the stall, trapping him in place. He cried out at this, frantically trying to push his horse aside without actually hurting her. "Zelda!" He raised his voice, tears starting to freely fall down his face.

I made no attempt to hide the tears that fell down my own face, resting my head on Epona's back and stroking the horse up and down, sobs wracking my small frame.

"ZELDA!" Link screamed this time, actually using his body weight to push Epona aside in order to reach me, to comfort me, to tell me everything was going to be okay. It was a battle he'd never win, because Epona weighed a solid ton and Link was a mere human. "Please!" A desperate wail. "Please let me help you!"

To the oblivious onlooker, my behavior seemed incredibly cruel, to torment an already suffering man even further. But, there was a purpose behind my actions, and even though it tore my own heart in two to see him suffer, it was what had to be done…

"Do you see?" I whispered. "Do you see what it feels like when you shut me out when you're suffering?" I raised my own voice, shocked at how emotionally charged my voice was, deviating from its usual monotone drawl… "It's not fair, Link! It's not fair that you can be my shield, protecting me from everything and you won't let me do a single thing to help you!"

He stared at me, dumbfounded as if I had just grown purple wings out of my back, frozen in place from my words. I could tell he never even considered that in that tiny little brain of his. He was one of those self-sacrificing idiots that never realized how their sacrifice hurt those around them…

"Zelda," he started. "Really, this…what I'm feeling, it's…"

"Don't," I snapped, my blue eyes narrowing from anger. "Don't say you're fine. I know you're not. For Goddesses' sake, Link, you are sobbing on the floor of the stables at midnight!"

Even after all of this, he still pretended that he was fine? What in the Goddesses' holy names would it take for this man to just admit that he wanted my help!?

If Epona could talk, she would surely call Link out on his stupidity as well. Seriously. Even the horse knew what a stubborn buffoon he was.

I expected him to continue on with his ridiculous charade and say something extremely stupid, but instead he simply collapsed to the ground, sobbing even louder than he had before.

"I'm sorry," he wailed. "I'm so sorry, I just…I just!"

My harsh expression softened and my body relaxed. I nodded in Epona's general direction, although the loyal horse already knew what she needed to do, positioning herself to the other side of the stall so I had access to Link once again. With the power of my Triforce radiating throughout my palm, I reached out and took his hand in mine, allowing our sacred power to connect and reach the other's heart. I pulled him into a gentle embrace, crying together with him. We laid on the floor for what seemed like hours, sobbing in each other's arms.

After he finally quieted, he rested his head on my shoulder and I stroked his honey hair, nuzzling his cheek.

"I have to be strong," Link finally spoke, his voice distorted from all of his sobbing. "There are so many people that rely on me to be strong. You, the people of Hyrule…"

I smiled lovingly at him, as that stubborn sacrificial attitude was one of the many reasons I loved him so. Wiping a tear out of his eye, I placed a gentle kiss of his forehead and cradled his head in my lap.

"You can be strong and still be human at the same time," I said.

He wiped his nose with one hand and used the other to mimic my motions and wipe a tear out of my eye. "I know," he said softly. "Honestly, for the most part, I usually can manage it. Really, it's because of you. It's because of you and the people of Hyrule. You all have such lovely smiling faces…and I know it's okay because even if I only played a small part, I helped the smile. It's just, whenever I see a bug…"

I placed a finger over his lips, not unlike how he did for me earlier that afternoon. While I was happy he was ready to confide in me about his fears and a horrifying nightmare of an encounter with a demon bug from hell, there was no need at this time.

"It's just a bug, Link. I assure you, even on the off-chance it was one of those demon bugs from hell; the insects themselves were not responsible for the spread of Twilight in our land. The only one capable of such a feat is gone, never to return again. After all, we killed him, together." I grinned as I said it, putting on the cheesiest, childish grin on my face and using the gruffest, manliest voice I could.

Link grinned back. "Those wise words," he said with a little laugh, "whoever said that must be a really smart guy."

I pulled him up to kiss me. "Actually, he's the most idiotic, stubborn, sarcastic asshole who is too stupid to fear anything at all." With a playful laugh, I flicked his nose fondly and kissed him deeply.

"Hey, I'm not that sarcastic."

"That's what you're disputing?" I giggled, my giggles turning into hysteric shrieks as he began tickling me for a mischievous revenge. He pulled me tightly into his chest, collapsing in the ground as we rolled around in the hay like little school children having a mock wrestling match. After we had our fun, I rested on top of him, kissing the bottom of his cheek and relishing in my sweet love's touch.

"Zelda," he said, slightly out of breath from our romantic escapades, "thank you."

"Oh?" I teased. "The unbreakable Hero is thanking the lowly peon princess?"

"Not unbreakable," he corrected softly. "I'm completely breakable. But you know what? That's okay. After all…"

"Girls love sensitive men."

Huh. That went completely differently than I originally intended for it to. I like to let my fics write themselves, so this was just how it was meant to be, I guess. I am extremely out of practice when it comes to creative writing, so please forgive me for poor grammar, typos, pacing, story development, and well…everything. I can't tell if I love this fic to pieces or I hate it.

I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!