Soon enough, the day came. Link was due to wake up soon, and his adventure would begin. Which meant it was time for the Slayer to head down to Hyrule. In preperation, the streets were lined with all the Links, Zeldas, and other important souls of the past.
One place that had gotten plenty of work leading up to now was the theater where any of the souls could go to watch events in Hyrule. The souls of carpenters past had been hard at work making improvements. The Slayer had asked why they did it and not just have the goddesses fix it up with a hand wave, and their answer was simply that it made them feel useful, which the Slayer could understand.
The work still wasn't done however, yet the theater was still usable. What had really motivated all the carpenters was the speed they were able to build at. Sure, they were good before. But thanks to a little magic from the goddesses, the Slayer had given the carpenters some upgrades. Power drills were almost an instinct for them, as just one example of how power tools were improving their jobs. Many of the carpenters were glad that since they were dead, they didn't have to worry about physical harm from the various types of power saw the Slayer had shown off, Though the Mutou family that ran the carpenters still yelled at them if they were careless. Not to mention things like nail guns, belt sanders, and more. Some things they were eager to learn about, like cranes and other large equipment, that couldn't be used in Hyrule for a long while. Oh how the Slayer saw in them the blue collar workers that built Earth.
For now, the indoor theater was available for the souls to sit and look at the "screen" to watch the events that would soon unfold, though the screen was a magical window down onto Hyrule. The goddesses had their own private screen, complete with the ability to talk to him at any time as well as access to his helmet cam. He could respond via his suit's neural collar.
However, the goddesses were walking the Slayer down the main road, as everyone waved at him. Underneath his helmet, the Slayer had his game face on. He had checked all armor systems, verifying they were green. His weapons were all fully loaded, cleaned, ready for action. The only weapon without a reliable ammo source was his BFG, but the goddesses had decided to send him anyway, with figuring out the ammo later. The Crucible as well had gotten its purification, and was ready to be the ultimate weapon to kill Ganondorf once the time came, currently hanging on his belt.
They finally got to the end, with the portal ready to send him to Hyrule sat. "And now it's time. Well almost. We're sending you a little early," Din announced. "But we have a few final gifts for you before you go." Her hands began to glow red. "I've been studying the newfound relation between Malice, you, and your resources. And I've found a way to help. Well, not help YOU, per se." She then lays her hands on the Slayer's chest, and an energy flows into him. "Link's going to need plenty of arrows out there, and now you can help him with that. Just like you can get ammo for your weapons, now you can give him arrows in the same way." The Slayer nodded his thanks, though it made him wish Link could use his guns. Problem would be that many would be too heavy for him.
Nayru was next up. "Sure, you might now be able to help him on the offense. But defensively? Link will be quite frail at the start of his adventure. Even for what he can become, let alone when compared to you." A blue glow filled her hands, with diamond shapes filling them. "In those cases, he needs my Love," she adds as she presses her hands into him, another energy flowing into him. "The Hero of Time is quite familiar with this spell. Costly to cast, and acquired late in his adventure, but it let him survive the worst that could be thrown at him. I'm not sure if he could've survived the Iron Knuckles otherwise. What you now have? A version of the Nayru's Love he knew, but one you can cast on Link. It won't last forever, but trust me, he'll appreciate it."
Now this was going to be big. Defense magic wasn't something the Slayer was familiar with, not that he was familiar with most magic anyway, but something that could make Link about as durable as he was would be important to keeping the kid alive.
Last up was Farore. "Lots of secrets all over the place," she starts off. "Especially the Koroks and their seeds. Don't worry, they'll be useful. But the little guys hide everywhere. Therefore..." her hands glow green, and she lays them on his chest, "Now you can find them more easily. Other secrets as well dot the land, and now, your armor has a detector for them."
Ah, secrets. The Slayer was quite familiar with them. It almost felt like every time he fought demons, there were secret areas for him to uncover. Didn't matter if the architects were the UAC, Hell, anywhere on Earth, Argent D'Nur, or beyond. Many a weapon had been found in a secret. Powerups as well. There were even entire hidden regions of all of the above he had found. A couple in particular he swore HAD to be illusions of Hell, pulled from the memories of his great-great-grandfather based on all descriptions, with all the traditional Nazis everywhere. Still, having an ability to detect secrets would've been useful when it felt like he was banging on walls everywhere. He was glad nobody was around when he did so, as the "Unf!"'s he made would've given off the impression he was doing...something else with the walls.
"Now, there's other things," Nayru continued. "In theory, you should be able to connect with Link's Sheikah Slate, so when his map gets updated, so will yours. When he activates the fast travel function, you'll come along as well. You'll also be able to keep track of his...everything. His health, his stamina, inventory and beyond. So...are you ready?" Nayru asks.
"Oh fear not. My cause is just. My will is strong. And my guns..." the Slayer held up his heavy cannon as a demonstration, though he knew it wasn't the best choice for this exact scenario, "Is very very large." He looked at the goddesses one last time. "Don't worry ladies, I'll take care of him. Link will live. Ganondorf will die. All will become right with the world," he tells them, seeing hints of worry in their faces. "Besides, you'll be watching, right? Always in contact?"
Having an audience for the whole adventure would be unusual. He had gotten used to an audience somewhat, during his grand mission against Davoth in the end. He couldn't help but smile as he remembered that one intern he never learned the name of, the one human willing to always help him without fear. If I could make an AI based off of you, I would. Whatever's happening, or maybe happened, to you on Earth, I hope you live/lived a good life.
"Here, since it seems like you three want it..." The heavy cannon fades and he pulls the three goddesses into a hug. They were surprised at first, but didn't pull away, instead sinking into him as much as they could, which wasn't as much as they wanted to because of his armor. Once they got up, they activated the portal, and with a nod, the Slayer went through.
There was a brief sensation of falling, making him wonder if they got it right. But about a minute later he felt his boots hit something solid, and looked down to verify he was on the ground. A quick 360 revealed no threats in the immediate area, only a few trees. He paused to take it all in, remembering old advice from boot camp to "make friends with your environment." He took it all in, the grass, the birds chirping, the trees, the wind, as well as a pleasant nature smell coming in through the Praetor's air scrubbers.
There were ruins a short walk away, overlooked by a decaying cathedral, with a few monsters he recognized from the bestiaries in the Sacred Realm as bokoblins. Pulling out his heavy cannon, he looked through its scope at further details. There was a dense forest below him, and he could see animal movement within. All part of, as the map he had seen called it, the Great Plateau.
But that wasn't the only place he looked. He scanned the horizon through the scope, taking in Hyrule Field beyond, and seeing Hyrule Castle in the distance, looming quite large over the landscape, surrounded by large pillars. To the right of the castle, way beyond it was a large volcano, but what really grabbed the Slayer's attention was something was moving on it. Something LARGE if he could see it from here, crawling over the side of the mountain. From what he could tell, it looked like a lizard, and it also looked mechanical.
Not that it was the only giant mechanical animal he could see. Floating off to the left, way away over snow-covered mountains, a bird of a similar style floated lazily in the air. That was even more impressive to the Slayer, thanks to his knowledge of aircraft construction. Something that large shouldn't be able to fly, especially if it was made of similar materials to whatever was crawling on the mountain.
"Enjoying the view?" Nayru interrupted his thoughts through his suit's radio.
"How does that thing fly?" The Slayer asked. "If it's as big as I think it is...it shouldn't be able to."
"Vah Medoh is just one of the clever inventions of the Sheikah," the goddess answers. "Along with Vah Rudania over on Death Mountain."
"So you noticed that huh?" He asked. His conversation was then interrupted as he heard someone coming up behind him. A quick spin revealed an old hooded bearded man carrying a lantern on a post. Yet, the Slayer could tell something was off about him. Nothing about the man was out of the ordinary to any of the Slayer's normal senses, yet he could tell something was abnormal about him. "Who are you?" The Slayer asks, pointing the heavy cannon in the man's general direction, but not directly at him.
"Woah there," the man says, holding up both his hands. "I am not your enemy, outworlder." The Slayer lowered his gun, and the man got closer. "I've been waiting a long time for the hero to awaken. Imagine my surprise when I had visions of a man, not from this world, accompanying him on his journey. A man that looked like you," he adds, sitting on a rock. "A man to put an end to the Calamity, once and for all. What a mission to be sent on by the goddesses of old!"
"I can't claim to know him," the Slayer answers. "But it'd be a nice chance of pace after everything I've done. I'm used to empty cities, fire and brimstone, death and destruction everywhere. I can't even remember the last time I was sent somewhere so...serene," the Slayer admits. "Also, goddesses of old? You all really don't remember them, do you?"
"The royal family keeps records. But if you're asking about the general populace...all they know is Hylia. And even then? They pray to her statues, and that's it. Sometimes they get boons, and sometimes they don't. You are the first to know of them in a long time, and you're not even from this world," the old man continues with a small smile. "I am eager for when I get to meet them."
And that's when it dawned on the Slayer. This man had the same general aura as the souls up in the Sacred Realm, when he should've given off a completely different aura, an aura of life. "You...why are you still here?" The Slayer asks. "I knew something was off from the moment you walked up. But now I know." The Slayer narrows his eyes at the old man, and lowers his voice. "You hide it well old man, but I can tell...you're a ghost, aren't you?"
The old man chuckled a hearty chuckle. "Why am I not surprised, outworlder? If your powers are such that you can end the Calamity for good, being able to discern my true nature is child's play. Well since we're getting everything out in the open..." He extends a hand that the Slayer shakes. "Wow, with a grip like that, no wonder you were sent here! King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, at your service. Well...I was king, when I was alive. Now, I watch over the Great Plateau, the birthplace of my kingdom. I'm even buried here." He points way off in the distance. "My gravestone is over there, a simple large rock on a mountain that can't be seen from here because of the landscape blocking the view. Nothing else. Nothing is written there. I won't rest, not until the Calamity is defeated. In case you want to ask why I'm still here. But please, not a word to Link. It is likely the slumber of Resurrection has damaged his memory. He may wake up with no memory of who he is. In fact he should be waking up any moment now."
The Slayer does a slight bow, before straightening. "Would you believe you're not the only royal here? In my case, King William Joseph Blazkowicz III, at your service. However, unlike you, I did NOT rule over a kingdom named Blazkowicz. Few would be able to say to say it correctly, let alone spell it." Both royals smile briefly together, as the Slayer spells out his last name. "But I've gone by other titles. The Unchained Predator. The Hellwalker. And once upon a time...Doomguy. Now, I'm mostly known as the Doom Slayer. So you understand why the goddesses let my name be Outworlder here. Everything I am known by..."
"I get it," the king's ghost answers with a chuckle, looking up, his eyes focusing on something. "There he is. I assume you also wish to keep your identity secret?" The Slayer nods. "Then let's go meet the hero, shall we?" The king's ghost continues as they see the figure approach.
"Getting friendly with the king?" Farore asked over the radio. "How cute." "You didn't tell me Hyrule had ghosts. I thought you'd take everyone." "Well, first off, all three of us are surprised you could tell something was up with him, even if you didn't know what it was right away," Din told him. "And such is their dedication. King Rhoam is not the first. And while not for the same reasons, the four Champions' souls are also trapped, imprisoned within their Divine Beasts. All of whom you'll meet eventually." "Meanwhile, here he is," Nayru says as Link approaches.
The first thing the Slayer noticed about Link was his height. Or rather, lack of compared to himself. The elven eared kid only came to the Slayer's shoulder. Blue eyes looked out from underneath messy blond hair, tied in the back with a blue ring, matching the rings on each of his ears as well as his eyes. Also of note was the fact his clothes didn't fit, as neither his shirt, nor his pants, were long enough to really fit him, not to mention the fact they looked old and threadbare, as if they were a century old, and the Slayer reasoned they probably were. At least the kid's shoes fit well enough though they were of a similar low quality. On his back was a stick of all things for the sake of defense. However, it was another eye that drew the Slayer's own. This eye was a symbol, adorning a tablet hanging from Link's belt, which the Slayer knew had to be the Sheikah Slate. If anything, it was the most unusual part of the whole ensemble, as while everything he had seen would fit Earth's medieval period, that tablet was surprisingly Earth-modern.
"Who are you?" He asked, his voice quiet and raspy as he cleared his throat a few times.
The king's ghost gave Link a story about being just an old man, explaining things about the cathedral in the distance. He also feigned annoyance when Link took a baked apple from a campfire and a torch, both vanishing into nothing. "So someone has a pocket dimension."
"His works differently compared to yours," Nayru explains. "And you can help."
Link then turned to the Slayer with a quizzical look. "And I'm...an outworlder, here to help you out," the Slayer tells him. Link nods, grabbing a rusty axe in a tree stump. The secret radar in his visor began to pulse, as Link approached an overhang, diving down into a circle of lillies in a small pond.
Something the Slayer had never seen before materialized from nowhere, a little wooden creature with a leaf mask. "Ya-ha-ha! You found me!" It said in a childish voice, Farore telling him that this was a Korok. It gave Link a seed, telling him to bring it to someone named Hestu, and that there were more Koroks all around.
The Slayer met Link on the shore of the pond after the kid grabbed an old rusty sword out of a rock from an island in the middle of the pond. "So, Temple of Time?" Slayer asked.
"Considering how little I have, yes," answered Link. They made their way over there, Link switching to the axe he had picked up earlier. He snuck behind a red bokoblin, successfully killing it in one hit, where it vanished into Malice, leaving behind a horn and its club, both of which he took. Slayer meanwhile examined an ancient machine nearby, finding an ancient shaft. He followed Link as he fought another bokoblin, taking its horn and club after death then opening a chest.
"Oh, this is better," Link says as he pulls out the contents. "Now if you don't mind..." The Slayer saw a pair of pants in Link's hands, along with boots more suitable for the wilderness. He went behind a wall, and came back with a "Oh, finally! Those old clothes were itchy, along with them not fitting well. Tag called them the Hylian Trousers." He then broke some barrels open to reveal a slme ball with eyes, killing the chuchu for its jelly. Another nearby decayed guardian yielded a gear, and the Slayer tossed Link the one he had found. More guardians gave up screws and a spring, as they caught the attention of another bokoblin. "So what can you do?" Link asked.
The Slayer answered by pulling out his shotgun. One helping of buckshot later, and it was dead. It left its horn, as well as a fang, both of which Link scooped up. "What would you even do with that?" The Slayer asked.
"Not sure, but something tells me it'll be useful down the line. Now it's my turn. What...even IS that?" Link asked. "You just pointed it at him, squeezed something, one loud noise and he's dead."
"It's a shotgun. Remember, I'm not from this world. I've got access to weapons you've never even imagined," the Slayer answered. "As for how this killed? Many small pellets left the muzzle. In fact...look." Link came closer, noticing a small hole in the wall of the Temple of Time. "Here's where one of said pellets hit." Link could see the small metal ball lodged into the stone. "Now imagine many of those, hitting that thing."
"Woah. If just that one weapon can do that...what can the rest do?" Link asked in amazement.
"You'll see," the Slayer answered. Inside the ruined temple, Link smashed some old pots to the right, revealing some arrows. A chest nearby had a bow which Link took, testing out the string. "Now this will be useful," he smiles, as he stows the bow behind himself along with the quiver of arrows. "Maybe not as deadly as what you have, but still useful." He checks the Slate hanging on his hip. "Hmmm, that hill looks like where I'm supposed to go." After stopping by another pair of decayed guardians for more parts, the pair went off to Link's next objective.
The walk over was uneventful, giving the Slayer time to look at everything. It was unusual to see overgrown ruins, especially of a medieval nature. He was far more used to ruins that were both modern and recently ruined. "So people used to worship you three there?" He asked the goddesses. "How come there's only one statue?"
"Hylia became the more favorable goddess at one point," Din answers. "So not even us. And considering what actually happened to Hylia...it means that when someone prayed to her, each of us have taken turns pretending we WERE Hylia. Nobody knows the truth about us anymore. Even the royal family only barely know of us. Ironic, as they carry the blood of Hylia, not to mention the fact each Zelda forced to oppose the evils of Hyrule, is Hylia reincarnated. Yet we still care for them." It was almost a shame, the Slayer had to admit. Unlike many a god he had met, these three actually cared about their people, yet their worship had fallen out of favor. He was likely the only one in Hyrule who actually knew of them, and he wasn't even native to Hyrule.
Their destination, which both could see was some buried structure, was guarded by a bokoblin carrying both a decent sword, as well as a crude shield. Its armaments didn't help it survive however, with Link taking all its spoils for himself. The structure meanwhile didn't have much visible, as there was an artificial platform with an orange pedestal, with another artificial stalactite above it.
Link put the Slate in the slot on the pedestal, with a message appearing on the screen, "Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks. Everything began to shake for a bit, then the structure began to rise into the air, knocking Link onto his back. As it rose, the Slayer was able to stay on his feet, and looked out into the distance, seeing similar towers rise all over Hyrule. When it stopped, they were quite a ways off the ground, with the Slayer estimating 3-4 stories at least. Link also got back up as various lights around the Tower turned blue, including a circular pad.
"Distilling local information..." the Slate now read. Blue runes appeared on the stalactite, flowing slowly down as a drop of something appeared at the tip, splashing onto the Slate once it was big enough. The Slayer could see a portion of Link's map fill up, showing the layout of the Great Plateau. The Slayer saw his own map system get updated as well, a map that was quite unusual to what he was used to, due to the fact it was a two-dimensional relief map as opposed to the three dimensional map he was used to. He could see the tower they were on, as well as another marker for where Link had come from, the Shrine of Resurrection. He could see the ruins of the Temple of Time, as well as a forest to the west.
"Remember...Try to remember...You have been asleep for the past 100 years," a voice from nowhere said to them, as a light shone from the castle. Then a pig-headed best made of what the Slayer assumed was Malice arose from the castle, surrounding it in energy as the beast the Slayer assumed was Ganon roared and then disappeared, still leaving the castle surrounded with Malice. Only then did he remember the voice saying something about the end of the world or something similar.
"What the...Is that what I have to defeat in the end?" Link asks. "If so...I'm already glad I'll have you around."
"This will be quite an interesting fight," the Slayer answers. "At least now we know what we have to do, eventually. But first, we should get down from this tower."
"Right. This...will be interesting," Link responds as he slowly jumps down the platforms. The Slayer meanwhile just jumped down the whole tower's height.
"I wish I could do that," Link says with a awed look, and the pair noticed the old king's ghost paragliding down to meet them.
King Rhoam asked Link if he recognized the voice, to which Link answered "No." The old king then confirmed that yes, it was Calamity Ganon, having ruined Hyrule a century earlier. He then told Link about how he'd need a paraglider to get down off the Great Plateau, and he'd only give his for treasure, showing him a nearby orange-glowing structure he called a shrine, which housed the treasure he wanted.
The Slayer and Link made their way over, pausing to collect parts from nearby guardians before they made it over. Link held the Slate up to the shrine's pedestal, causing it to open up, with the orange parts of the shrine turning blue, with an orange eye above the structure. The pair both got on the elevator to descend down into the shrine's depths.
"That Ganon's big, but I've fought bigger," The Slayer telepathed to the goddesses.
"We saw the footage of you fighting the Icon of Sin," Nayru answers. "We know you have. It's part of why you're here."
"Having to escort a kid around who doesn't even look old enough to drink is...unusual for me, I'll admit."
"Because it'll be MUCH harder for him this time compared to what the previous Heroes went through. Also? Two of you can cover more ground than just one," Nayru continues.
Meanwhile, in the unfinished theater in the Sacred Realm, the past Links and Zeldas along with other important figures were watching intently, though they couldn't interact with anyone in Hyrule in any way.
"That's what he starts in?" Twilight Link asked. "Even I wore better clothes than that!"
"Oh that's just his first SET of clothes," Midna chuckles. "Remember he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection in just his boxers. I must say, Zel, your descendant will be quite the lucky girl," Midna licks her lips as she looks at Twilight Zelda.
"What is it with Links and muscles?" Time Zelda chimes in. "I mean, I know you were each once the Hero, but still..."
"Do you ladies need to go somewhere private to fantasize?" Sky Link asks, embarrassing all women in the theater.
"What I want to know, is when he gets it," Wind Link asks.
"Gets what?" Wind Zelda asks back.
"His tunic. We saw him get proper pants, but when is he getting the tunic? Everyone here knows, you can't be a hero unless you have the green tunic," Wind Link answers. "Some of us started our adventures in it, looking at you Time and Hero." Both Links nodded in understanding as they looked at their tunics. "Meanwhile, a lot of us had to earn ours early on in our adventure. Sure, the style may change. Twilight's the only one with that bracer on his arm. The shade may vary, as mine is a lighter green than Twilight's as another example. Still, green tunic, all around."
"I've heard a rumor he's not getting his own tunic," Ruto chimes in. "That he's just going to get multiple clothing sets for varying purposes without his own hero tunic."
"What?" Time Link asks. "I get having outfits for other things, I mean I had the Goron and Zora tunics. But without his own hero tunic...why would the Goddesses do this?"
"As a topic change, Calamity Ganon is HUGE!" Sky Zelda points out. "He makes all previous Ganon variants look small!"
"There's another thing that's interesting," Wind Link adds. "This Link has to climb towers to fill the map. I had to feed fish. Others of you just had to visit the areas in question. And did you see his map? It's HUGE! I feel like my map was smaller, and I had a boat! I couldn't imagine having to walk everywhere."
"All y'all know he has horse access, right?" Malon asks.
"Except I've heard he has to CATCH one himself," Nabooru points out. "Nor does he have a magic way to summon said horse to him, wherever he goes. Not to mention the fact this Link can climb ANYTHING. So...how useful IS a horse to him anyway?"
"I'd like to know when he's going to enter his first dungeon," Hero Link asks. "Tunic is one thing, but when is his first dungeon? I know they're heading down into a 'shrine' now, but I somehow get the feeling that's not a proper dungeon."