It took the next two days and Link's willingness to go back to the castle to find any of her surviving research notes. While he didn't find much, he found just enough for her to complete the relay. It didn't look as she remembered earlier versions to be, but she chalked it up to the fact she was working with fewer tools, limited notes, and starting completely from scratch. In the future, she might have time to refine the mechanics and design, but it would do for now.

"It looks like a crown," Zelda caught Link signing. She smiled and angled her head up, trying to catch her reflection in the window. It did look a bit like a crown. A circlet, more accurately. Cobbled together from pieces of ancient tech, it looked more like an attempt at a crown than anything else. Turning back to Link, she found him leaning towards her, bent at the waist, and offering his hand out to her.

He didn't have to say it for her to get the joke. She took his hand and felt it grip hers and pull her up onto her feet from her bed-slash-makeshift-workspace.

"This might as well be my kingdom," she said, half-heartedly gesturing to the relay. "I put more work into my research than my people, before. Perhaps I should be called the Princess of Gears rather than Hyrule."

He shook his head. "You're doing this for your people. Don't forget that."

She left the thing upon her head as they left the inn together. Midday hardly felt any different than the other times of day, the way the Sheikah people behaved themselves. The biggest difference that Zelda found was the play of the children that ran about. She couldn't help but notice the differences in ages for the children to the older Sheikah. It could be completely explained by the small nature of the village and community, but with how Hyrule had been for the last century, Zelda couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't a darker reason for the age gap.

Some of the children, two young girls Link seemed familiar with, followed them at a distance as they left the village. While Link had come and gone a few times for various reasons, Zelda had limited her time to the inn and Impa's house. Sometimes she would go for a walk with Link for a bit of fresh air and moment to give her mind a break, but even that was simply around the village.

"There's a Guardian just up ahead, at the base of this cliff," Link told her, then looking over his shoulder to give a warning look, which she assumed was a message for the young girls.

Zelda took a few steps forward, going from grass to rock as she neared the edge to peer over. Yes, indeed there was a Guardian at the base – silent, just as Link told her. She took a seat at the edge of the cliff, crossing her legs and concentrating on one word: awaken.

It felt all too similar to before, begging for her powers to awaken at the Goddesses's springs. The long hours in the cold water, praying, unmoving, hopeless – they were not fond memories to look back on but she pushed them aside. She had to. She wasn't going to waste everyone's time looking back on her own sad past. Everyone had already paid too high a price for her past mistakes.

Again, she tried to conjure the power. Awaken. She tried to remember the feeling of controlling the Guardians but the memory proved to be too distant, so she turned her mind back to her research. The Divine Beasts were of similar construct to the Guardians in terms of craftsmanship and technology, but the Champions hadn't needed a relay. For the Champions to control their Divine Beasts, a certain connection had to be made. The Guardians were nowhere near as intelligent as the Divine Beasts, pawns on a game of chess where the Beasts were the Kings and Queens.

But perhaps a connection still needed to be made. Even a small one.

"I should go down," she told Link. It was more akin to giving him notice than asking for permission or protection. There was nothing to worry about, that she was sure of. It wasn't powered up. Not that it lacked power – the only thing missing from the construction was Ganon's influence and that hadn't powered them. When she banished Ganon's influence from the Guardians that attacked Link, she was sure it depowered them in one fell swoop.

She found the path to walk down, ignoring Link's moving hands as she stubbornly approached the Guardian. And then she stopped, a foot short and her hand a hair's breadth away from touching it. When was the last time she was this close to one? Back when her powers first awakened?

Zelda looked back to Link. He stood twenty or so feet away, his face unreadable as usual, but it was in his hands she saw his anxiety, how they were gripped tight and shaking. His eyes looked distant, like he couldn't see her even though she was standing right before him. She abandoned the Guardian, turning back to her guardian so that she stood before him, standing just as close to him as she had been with the construct. He still didn't seem to see her. Only when she took one of his hands into her own did he seem to return to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, already knowing the answer even though he wouldn't give it to her. He must have fought a hundred of these things before he came to fight Ganon, and at least a few of those had been after he remembered the final memory she left for him. She couldn't begin to understand why this would make him act in such a way now. "Please, Link, let me help."

He shook his head. "I'm better now," he signed. "I think… it's weird seeing you so calm with them. Unafraid."

"I know you've spent your time fighting with them, but the Guardians and the Divine Beasts have mostly peaceful memories for me. Of course, not entirely, but you, uh, already remember that," she said. Then, she continued using her hands to speak, her motions still awkward and stilted at times, but she wanted to speak with him on the same level for this. "If it helps, there's no reason for them to turn against us. It's in their being to obey orders, and there should only be mine now. Just me."

"Just you," he repeated with a nod.

It was still so odd to see him in those moments, looking confused, panicked, and vulnerable, even if it was only evident to her. She watched him after he woke: confused but confident. Now he just looked scared, and that fact alone frightened her. If something was terrifying for him, he who jumped off mountaintops to score dragon scales, who careened down steep slopes with only a shield between him and the rock he tumbled down, and fought hordes of monsters like it was simply another day, then just how bad was it?

She gave him one last reassuring smile and a squeeze of her hand on his before returning to their task at hand. She pressed one hand against the cool metal of the Guardian and closed her eyes. Again, her thoughts tried to extend her will to the Guardian. Nothing came in return. How did she do it, back then? Of course, it had taken longer than a few days for her to complete the project then, but having it slip from her fingers when she was so close was near maddening. Part of her wanted to stomp her feet and storm off, but that wouldn't accomplish anything.

Maybe she was going at it wrong. She was treating this the same way she had with her powers when she wanted to call out to Link. While that had worked with her powers, she wasn't trying to use them here, she was trying to connect with a machine. Regular Sheikah were able to control the Guardians, both in ancient times and a hundred years ago. It had to be simpler.

With a deep breath, she took a step back and opened her eyes, partially surprised to see the evening light peeking over the hills in long rays. Had time passed that quickly? No, she had to focus. If anything, it meant she shouldn't waste any more time.

She thought to herself then, that the Guardian wasn't an ancient being to connect with or control. It wasn't one of the Beasts, it was a machine. She had to think of it as extension of herself, the same way she could use a tool or Link could use a sword. She tried to imagine its body as hers, waking up and moving one leg at a time to push up.

The creaks and moans of the resting cogs startled her from her meditative state, and the sudden movement of the Guardian itself – walking! – was a surprise great enough to send her backwards with a stumble. Link came to her side almost immediately, not nearly fast enough to catch her but fast enough that he was kneeling beside her to help her up before she even registered she hit the ground.

"It worked!" she exclaimed, half laughing. "Link, I did it!"

She threw her arms around him in celebration and was happy to feel her touch reciprocated not even a moment later. They pulled away just long enough to stand back up, her hands held in his. They stood face to face, too close for it to be innoucuous. But still neither of them moved, not until the cries of amazement from the Sheikah girls pulled them away, Link taking a hasty step back and a hand going up to brush through his hair.

"Koko! Cottla!" he signed, and she made note of the combination of signs he used to address them. She remembered them from before, having just seemed to slip her memory for a moment.

"Girls! Don't come too close," Zelda warned. She took off the relay, and while the Guardian remained still, it was stood active.

"You're really good at focusing," the older one said. Koko, Zelda presumed. "It was almost Sheikah level focus!"

Zelda smiled and knelt down to talk on level with the kids. "Thank you. Can you do the same?"

Koko shook her head. "Not yet! I'm trying, but I usually take care of Cottla. I'll probably be great once I start training!"

"I bet. But it really wasn't the safest thing to follow us. If something had gone wrong, you could've been hurt," Zelda warned. Koko looked a little disheartened, looking down at her feet and then to her younger sister. "Life isn't without its risks, and it's a skill to know what risks are worth the benefits. Why don't we head back to the village now?"

The girls nodded and scampered off ahead of Link and herself.

"What should we do about this?" Link asked, then pointing to the activated Guardian.

Zelda put the relay back on and tried to imagine herself as one with the machine again, slowly powering down like slipping away into sleep, and the machine turned itself off. It also dropped to the ground, causing a cloud of dust and dirt to fly up and coat the both of them.

Taking off the relay again, she said, "Well, at least it works."

Zelda took advantage of the relatively short walk back to talk about her theories and ideas, as well as explaining the differences in how the Guardians are apparently meant to be controlled compared to how the Divine Beasts needed a more personal connection. She talked on about how she had completely forgotten that the Guardians needed more personal supervision and that it was likely the reason why the Guardians seemed so independent and smart after Ganon returned was that the Calamity was not exactly a single rational mind that could only focus on one thing at a time, meaning it had the ability to control all the Guardians without the massive one-on-one oversight that they would have to handle now.

It felt like she was making up for a day of silent meditation, the way the words and thoughts and theories flew from her mouth at a breakneck pace, but her words grew stale and dry in her mouth as they turned the corner to see Kakariko village practically empty, aside from a few Sheikah crowded outside the open door of Impa's house.

"What's going on?" Zelda asked. Link shrugged, so they made their way to the back of the crowd, both of them standing on the tips of their toes to look over the shoulders of the people in front of them. Even though she couldn't see what was happening, she could hear it, and the voices alone made her push her way through the crowd to the front.

Impa was sitting in her spot as usual, but before her was Ora, sitting with her legs tucked under her and head bowed.

"Why didn't anyone tell me this was happening?" Zelda asked, looking between the crowd and Impa. Some were willful enough to look her in the eye as she passed over them, but others wouldn't rise to meet her gaze. She felt infuriated having been excluded – and seemingly purposefully so! She was the one who brought Ora here and promised to vouch on her behalf!

"Princess," Impa said, instantly gaining Zelda's undivided attention. "While we follow you as Sheikah with our sacred oath and support you as the last of the royal line to rule Hyrule, this is a village matter. You are not to involve yourself with unjust authority."

"But I am already involved!" Zelda exclaimed, her arms moving in time with her tempered fury. "And I promised Ora I would vouch on her behalf that I felt a remaining influence of Ganon on her."

"You have already told us this. Did you have anything else to add?" Impa asked.

"I…" Zelda wracked her brain, trying to think of something else to say. She could tell them her theories on Ganon's influence on the Yiga, but they were nothing more than untested theories. The anger coursing through her turned from a boil to a simmer, until she felt cold and ashamed. "I spent several nights with Ora watching over me… without Link. If she still ascribed to the Yiga beliefs, I'd be dead. Maybe - maybe it was to get here, but from what I know of the Yiga, killing either Link or myself would be their primary goal. Please, take these actions into consideration, too."

Impa nodded towards her. "We will. Until we reach a conclusion, please wait at the inn. You too, Link."

Zelda turned to see Link nod and turn to her, giving a sort of "let's go" nod. It felt wrong to leave Ora behind, but she knew that what Impa said wasn't technically wrong. She had already given her say, and she knew that her status didn't give her the permission to pardon people within their own communities. It was part of the reason why she brought Ora here. So she gave a bow to Impa and returned to the inn with Link, leaving Ora to the fate that Zelda brought her here to face.

It hardly felt like a week later with how the Dueling Peaks stable bustled with workers. Bolson had done a wonderful job of finding able workers while she and Link were in Kakariko village. Purah was around here somewhere, maybe out in the meadow to tinker with the inert and immobile Guardians even though she was supposed to be supervising the use of the ones she had disarmed. Link seemed content the last two days, busying himself as a cook for the workers. In fact, his cooking seemed to serve the dual purpose of entertainment as well, workers watching him pull out far too many ingredients than what seemed to fit in his bag and, of course, actually watching him make the meal.

As for herself the last two days with this project, Zelda took to managing things on the smaller level just to ensure things ran smoothly.

"Try imagining yourself in the middle of the Guardian," Zelda instructed, adjusting the placement of the relay on a young man. "It may take some getting used to, but you have to imagine as if you're walking in its body. Which leg needs to move first, and where, for it to walk forward?"

"Thanks," he managed, avoiding looking Zelda directly in the eye. "I'll give it another shot."

She took a step back, more to get out of a way than as a comment about her confidence in his ability, and watched the young man focus. The machine moved slowly and clumsily at first, but he seemed to get the hang of moving the machine by the fifth step. Leaving him with a short piece of praise, she returned back to the stable's cooking pit.

"Finished up the last round of dinner?" she asked, taking a seat by the fire.

"Almost," he signed, pulling a few ingredients from his bag. She watched relaxed as he prepped and cooked the smaller meal, meant for the two of them. Despite the hustle and bustle of the people around them working into the night, it felt much like before. Unlike before, she was too tired to talk about her theories of the Sheikah Slate or to confide in him her worries of being unable to access her powers. But she liked this better. Things seemed less dire even if it was more draining, trying to establish a new tax system and manage the reconstruction, starting with a few bridges and roads.

She looked out, beyond the fire Link cooked over. The stable didn't have enough beds or even enough space to house all of the workers, so some tents were set up nearby. Torches lit the dark road, trailing little dots into the distance. She listened to the gurgling clunk of one of the Guardians, probably laying down foundation for one of the supporting pillars of the long bridge.

Zelda felt a tap at her shoulder and turned, blinking her eyes a few times just to make sure her vision was clear as she watched Link sign.

"Wait," she signed back. "I didn't catch that."

"I'm almost out of food to feed others with," he said, tapping his bag.

"Oh." Already, her mind began racing with solutions. With managing everything else, she had almost forgotten about setting up a steady supply of rations.

"Perhaps I can help," someone said. It was hard to see them, having looked from the fire to the dark so fast, but she recognized the voice. "Sorry, I was eavesdropping."

Looking back to Link, she saw him smile and sign, "It's alright, Ora."

The other woman took a seat next to Zelda, giving her an almost apologetic look. She didn't look exactly relaxed, but she did look different. Her hair was let loose and she wore the same kind of clothes like everyone else here wore. The only thing that set her apart from Hylians that worked here was the color of her hair.

It wasn't the first time Zelda had seen Ora in the last week, but her appearances had been far and few between, seeing her helping the workers or taking guard shifts in the night. She seemed glad for the work, and Zelda guessed it was probably since it took her mind off the fact the Sheikah were unable to come to a decision on what to do with her, leaving the trial somewhat suspended. She wondered how it would feel, not to know her fate.

"I was wondering if I could help manage this group," Ora asked her. "I've heard of a few people talking about settling out here. Building a few houses, establishing some farms. I've overheard the stable even mention expanding into a complete inn."

"So eavesdropping is just your default?" Zelda teased, sitting up a little straighter in order to elbow the older woman. Ora gave her the same kind of smile as before.

"I want a place to call home and a purpose for each day. Why not here? I can protect the people here, if anything happens, and I can manage the day to day tasks and-"

"Ora, you have my support. I think you'll be great for the day to day issues, but I don't think that solves my… supply chain problem. This group would also need another person, to manage the bigger issues. Does that work for you?" Zelda offered.

Ora nodded, a spark in her eye for the first time in a week since the trial. In the time it took to finalize the details, responsibilities, and future plans with the woman, Link had finished their dinner, passing a plate over to Zelda and taking a seat on the other side of her.

"Wait until I tell the others before doing anything," Zelda told Ora as the older woman left for her shift.

"Who are you thinking about putting in charge of this group?" Link asked.

"Bolson, most likely," she said. "He's managed his own company up until now. Granted, on a much smaller scale, but I doubt anyone has been working in these kinds of numbers for a while."

He nodded in agreement.

"That is, if he'll accept. I recall him mentioning a retirement at some point, but I can't remember what context it was in. I'm positive he'll remind me of it when I approach him," she said, and then began on her own meal.

Link settled in next to her, eating his own meal. It was a warm, hearty stew that filled Zelda pretty fast and she passed her leftovers on to him, which he seemed to take without question. In the light of the fire, the bags under his eyes seemed accentuated. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask him what was troubling him, but she closed it, knowing the non-answer she'd get.

Instead, she looked back out to the bridge in progress. They left the older wooden bridge up, making the new stone one right next to it so they wouldn't keep travelers from being able to, well, travel. In fact, she was hoping they'd pass by and see the progress and spread the news to any smaller settlements, letting people know that she was back and working at building a better future for everyone.

"We should visit the other groups," she blurted out. "The Geurdo, the Rito, the Zora, and the Gorgons. I know no one thrived during the century we were absent from, but if we could get their support - more workers, more funds or supplies - we could really start to rebuild."

She turned to Link and promptly laughed, his face stuffed with stew as he raised his hands to talk.

"The Zora are close," he signed, still making his way through that mouthful of stew. "We could start there."

Zelda nodded, her mind already spinning with the possibilities. Zora could travel faster by water. Certain supplies that could travel through water could be delivered quick, as well as messages. But what really interested her was her usual focus: the ancient Sheikah technology in the Divine Beasts. Part of that felt shameful to admit, that she was more interested in her studies than helping her people. She couldn't stop her father's words from echoing in her head and the doubt creeped in, wondering if she'd fail her people again if she focused too much on her research. Another part of her knew that it wasn't her studies that kept her from serving her duty to her people before, but that wouldn't quiet the doubt in her head.

"Yes, let's do that."