Chapter 1

            Darkness is eternal. This much the man knew as we walked down the street, feeling the cool breeze push against him, making its way to a destination known only to itself. In the distance, howls could be heard. Howls from animals that could make a man shiver in his boots. But tonight, this man was not worried about the animals on the outside. He was worried about the ones on the inside.
            For two long years, he has roamed the whole world of Hyrule. Sometimes, the man has gone beyond the threshold of Hyrule and traveled to worlds unknown to him. There, he has seen many things. But one thing has always eluded him. The secret to darkness' destruction.
            The man walked into the village of Kakariko, feeling restless. He has journeyed all this way to find someone. After two years, he would see one of the few people who remembers who he really is. Or, should I say, who he used to be.
            Walking into a bar, the noise of drunk people and eager women invaded his ears. Pushing aside the noises, he walked across the room and sat down at a table. Another person was already sitting at the table, and did not acknowledge the man when he sat down. For a full minute, neither of them said anything. Then the man spoke.
            "It has been a long time." The occupant at the table nodded.
            "That it has my boy," the occupant turned his head. "So what brings you here after all this time?"
            The man hesitated. "I need help."
            A laugh escaped his friend. "You expect a lot."
            "I know it is sudden, but someone is following me. The other day, I was attacked by a Hylian guard. It's like he knew I was going to be there. I want to know if you knew anything about it."
            "You really do expect a lot. I know nothing about any attack my friend." A grin came forth on the mans face. His eyes flashed blood red.
            "You forget that it was I who created you." the mans voice deepened. The smug look on his friends face instantly disappeared. In its place was a look of horror. He knew that voice.
            "That's right," the man spoke. He stood up. "I have decided to speak to you myself. I fear that you have betrayed me."
            "N-no, I have not." came a stutter.
            "You have. Do not lie to me. I have been around as long as the Goddess' have. I have become wise in the way of you Hylians. And for lying, you must pay." he stepped around the table.
            The table, along with the contents on it, flew up into the air as the frightened man jumped out of his chair and took off for the door. He had to leave fast. He would never have a chance to face this being on his own. Bursting through the door, he turned to the right and headed for the old shaman's home. Just when he got there though, he was knocked down into the spring face first.
            Coughing up water, the frightened man rolled around just as a sword came screaming down upon where he had been. Suddenly, a foot lashed out at him and connected with his face. His head snapped back and he fell into the water. There he lay, drowning. I always knew this would be the end of me.
            "Get up." commanded a voice in his head. He instantly sat up, his face breaking out of the water. In front of him, the dark being stood, watching him.
            "You have caused me a lot of grief."'
            The wet man shivered. "I'm sorry master. It will not happen again."
            A smile snuck its way onto the beings face. "Your right it won't happen again." and with that, he shoved his blade into the mans chest. He could not breath at all. I am dying now. He fell back into the spring, ready to let the current take him.

                   ***

            Jacob awoke just as the body hit the spring. At first, he didn't know what was happening. His sword was in his hands, but he could see no reason for why he would have it out. Suddenly it came to him. He had blacked out in the bar when he was talking to his friend, Joseph. But now he was here, and Joseph was nowhere to be found.
            Maybe my dark being killed him. Oh no... "JOSEPH!" Jacob cried out. He spun around to head back into the bar, but something grabbed his ankle from in the spring. Jumping back, Jacob noticed it was a hand. He quickly grabbed the hand and pulled its owner up. Its owner turned out to be none other than Joseph.
            "Joseph!" he cried out and pulled him to the edge of the spring. Kneeling beside him, Jacob noticed that he was still alive. But only barely.
            "Joseph. Are you there? Answer me!" Jacob cried. He breathed a sigh of relief when Joseph's eyes slowly crept open.
            "Ja-jacob..." Joseph muttered softly. "T-take th-this..." he pulled a letter out of his pocket and with trembling hands, handed it to Jacob. Jacob took it and put it into his pocket.
            "Don't worry Joseph. You're gunna be ok. I promise." Jacob said, tears forming at his eyes. Joseph laughed and coughed up blood.
            "It's ok Jacob. I'm ready to go." and with that, Joseph collapsed in his friends arms and died. Jacob stayed there for a minute, then carefully set his body down on the ground. Climbing to his feet, Jacob stared off into the distance, then turned and walked away. He could not afford to get soft after all this time.
            I'll miss you Joseph. Take care of yourself with the Goddess'. Remembering, he pulled out the note Joseph gave him and read it. Then he crumbled it up and threw it at where his friend laid. Screaming at no one, he drove his fist into the ground. Pain shot up his arm as he continued to punch the ground. Pain, he learned, was the only way he could truly feel alive. The only way he could tell that he really was Jacob, not some dark being.
            After a few minutes, he pulled out his horse call and called up his horse, called Midnight. The black horse came galloping up to him, its white mane flowing in the air. Jacob climbed up on his horse, then took off out of the village. He had to do it. There was no other way.
I must return home.

                 ***

            Inside of Jacob, his darkness stayed dormant. He had to admit, his vessel was doing a good job of staying the dominant personality. The darkness expected to have already taken control of this being, but he has had a difficult time. Sure, he could gain control every now and then. But only for brief periods.
No matter, the darkness thought. It is a futile effort. Eventually, I will gain control. And he will suffer. Badly.
So the darkness stayed, ever waiting. It would have its time. One way, or another.

 

             Chapter 2

            "And again." Link said, angling his blade up to a fighting position. His opponent, a Hylian Honor Guard by the name of Joey, slowly stood up again. Breathing hard, he picked up his sword and threw himself at Link. Dodging the on-coming attack, he swung his training sword at Joey's hand. Joey jumped back and rolled. But Link was anticipating the move, and dove at Joey just as he rolled onto his feet. A breath escaped Joey as his trainer slammed into his stomach and they both flew back, down the hill they were on. Swords flying from their hands, they rolled down the hill. Finally, they came to a stop at the bottom.
Panting hard, they laid there. Then Link stood and held his hand to Joey. He took it and climbed back up. "Good job Joey. You're getting better."
            Joey nodded. "Thank you Link. I must admit mate, now I understand why you were the Hero of Light."
            Link laughed. "Nah, I was lucky. That's what you will learn later on in your career Joey. No matter how good you are, luck will be the deciding factor in any battle. Remember that. It could save your life. It certainly saved mine a couple times."
            Joey nodded. "I will be sure to remember that mate. Thank you."
            "Now lets go get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
            "You're always hungry Link." a voice said behind them. They both turned to find Zelda walking up to them.
            "My Queen." they both said and kneeled down on the ground. Zelda sighed.
            "Rise." Both fighters stood, facing their ruler. "Link, I have something you might want to hear."
Link nodded, clearly confused. "What could you have to tell me?"
            Zelda hesitated, but continued. "I have a message from one of my guards out posted in Ordon. It seems he believes he saw Jacob ride into the village."
            Links heart started racing. Could it be true? Jacob? "I think I should head home then. If there is a chance that he has come home, then maybe he has..." Link looked over at Joey, uneasy. Few people knew what had really happened those two years ago. Joey was not one of them.
            Zelda nodded, understanding what he meant. "Maybe. But it could be dangerous. Another incident might happen like before, and I cannot allow that. I was actually coming to you in hopes that you would accept going to Ordon for me."
            "I think that would be a good idea." Link said. He turned his head to Joey. "And I think Joey should come with. It would be a good training mission for you, don't you think Joey?"
            Joey's eyes lit up at the mention of going on a mission. "I would love to mate!"
            Zelda smiled. "It's settled then. The both of you will leave out tomorrow." They both went to leave out, but Zelda said. "Wait Link. I need to speak to you one more time."
            Joey looked at Link, wondering whether to leave or not. Link nodded and Joey walked back to the castle. Turning towards Zelda, Link asked. "What else do you need?"
            Zelda hesitated. "Link, you of all people knows what is inside of Jacob. Or what was as far as we know."
            Link nodded once again. "Right."
            "Well, I want you to be on guard. Jacob is your son, but it may not be Jacob that you will confront. It may be something darker. Whatever happened two years ago maybe nothing compared to what is in Jacob. Just... Be careful Link. I don't want you to get hurt."
            "I know Zelda." Link drew her into a hug and held her tight. He heard her start to cry, but he didn't say anything.             Link knew that even after two years, the death of John still stabbed her deep within her own heart. Link did his best not to tread in that territory, but sometimes it was unavoidable.
            "Zelda." She looked up at him. "I promise you, I will be careful. As will Joey."
            She laughed weakly. "You know Joey. He will always be reckless."
            Link smiled. "I know, but I'll keep control of him."
            "I know. But you go get ready. You need to leave out early tomorrow."
            Link nodded. "Good night my queen." and headed into the castle. Zelda, on the other hand, stayed in the courtyard. Inside, she was battling with herself.
            What happens if Jacob isn't really who he says he is.

 

Chapter 3

            "Well, time to go." Link said as he adjusted his saddle on his horse. His horse, Cloud, gave him a weird look. "Don't look at me like that." he scolded and turned away. Now, where is Joey? he thought. And right when he thought that, Joey walked around the corner with his horse in tow.
            "Are you ready?" Link shouted at him. Joey laughed.
            "Sorry mate. I slept in. Forgot we were leaving early."
            "Well, I would like to get home as soon as I can. I do not want to miss my son. It's been two years since I have seen him."
            "I understand Link. Shall we go?" Joey said, mock bowing at Link.
            Link laughed and pushed him. "Just get on your horse and let's go." Straddling his horse, him and Joey took off for Ordon, where answers lay hidden.

 

***

 

            "Finally. We're here." Link said as he and Joey crossed the bridge that led to the small village. They had been traveling most of the day, usually stopping due to monsters jumping them. But it proved to be an otherwise easy travel, and now they were back in Ordon. Back home. Link thought with relief.
            They stopped by the spring to let their horses drink and get refreshed. Sitting at the bank, neither fighter said a thing. Link stared at the spring, his thoughts traveling into the past. This is where it began. Link still remembered that day clearly. They had come to the spring to let the kids Bo, Jena, and Jacob swim and have fun. It was hard to believe that everything had happened the way it had. Link looked up into the sky without thinking, remembering the light that had come down and took his son. Link still did not know what had happened when his son was taken, but sometimes he wondered if that was a good thing.
            "Thank you for taking me along mate." Joey said out of nowhere. Link started, then turned to Joey.
            "Don't mention it. I figured it would be good for you to get out of the castle for a bit. See new things. See where I grew up at."
            Joey nodded. "It means a lot that you would take me mate. I mean, I've been a Honor Guard for only a week, and already you're taking me on missions with you."
            Link shrugged. "It's nothing. There's something about you Joey. You're going to be a great Honor Guard."
            Joey smiled. "Thanks mate."
            "It's nothing." Link stood. "Now, let's get going. I want you to meet my family."
            Joey nodded. "Alrighty mate." he climbed to his feet and walked over to his horse. Suddenly, both horses started loosing control. They jumped up and started backing away from the entrance to the spring.
            "Hey! What's going on? Calm down!" Joey tried in vain to try and get control of the horses. But Link was more worried about what they were scared about. He spun around, pulling his sword from its sheath. Seeing nothing, Link grew confused. A swift movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned in time to stop the attack with his sword.
            A hooded figure stood pushing his sword into Links. The attacker jumped back and brought his sword up, waiting for an attack from Link. Link jumped at him and their swords clashed. Pulling back, the attacker feinted to the right, then dove to the left of Link and tried to drive his sword into Link's side. But Link jumped into the air, spinning. He landed perfectly on his feet, only to feel a foot connect into his shoulder. Flying back, Link landed hard on the ground, his sword tumbling out of his hand. Looking up, he noticed that his attacker stood above him, sword raised for the kill.
            The kill never came. A fist came flying into his view and knocked the attacker back. Link noticed that Joey had noticed the battle and came to the rescue. "Hello mate." Joey said as he ran to the attacker. Not a moment too late either. Link thought with sarcasm as he jumped to his feet and picked up his sword. Looking over, he noticed that the attacker and Joey were evenly matched. The attacker managed to get behind Joey and attempted to stab him. But Link came rushing in and knocked the attacker off balance. The attacker slid on the ground on his back. Climbing to his feet, he noticed that it would be a 2-on-1 fight if he stayed.
            "Catch ya later." the attacker said. He jumped back onto a tree branch, then out into the distance. Link and Joey stood there, waiting for another attack. When it became clear that one would not come, they sheathed their swords.
            "Who was that?" Joey said as they gather their horses.
            "I do not know Joey. But whoever it was, he is a pretty good fighter. And he has it out for the both of us."
            "True mate. But he has his work cut out for him if he tries that again."
            Link nodded. "Right. Now, let's leave. For real this time."

 

***

            In the distance, the one who attacked Link and Joey stopped by the old Coro house, and walked in. Inside, he had made himself an actual home. It had not been used in the last year, as old Coro left to live elsewhere. Not that I blame him. the attacker thought.
            He took off his hood and set it down. Walking to the mirror, he stared at himself. Sighing, he stood back. He had his way and almost won. But time proved to be the mistress in all this. Now he would need to go back and rest, wait for another day. Until then, he would play the innocent and study his enemies. Look for a weakness.
            So he undressed and dressed back into his regular village clothing. Then he took out an old pendant he kept with him. Pulling up an image of the village, he willed himself to teleport.

And here is where the fight for Hyrule begins.

 

 

Chapter 4

            Ilia stood watching her two kids run around outside their house. They had recently turned fourteen, and they had seemed to be enjoying it. But it was a birthday that Link had missed, and that had made her sad. She missed Link. He left for the castle to be a trainer for Honor Guards a year and a half ago. Maybe he was looking for a way to help pay for his family. Maybe he needed to get away after had happened between him and Jacob. Either way, she wished she could see him.
            "Ilia?" a voice said behind her. I know that voice. She thought. Slowly, she turned around to see Link standing behind her. Millions of thoughts and emotions ran through her at once. But she pushed them all away and threw her arms around her husband. He pulled her close to him and held her tightly.
            "Link. I can't believe you're back." she whispered in his ear.
            He smiled. "Me either." he pulled away and turned around. Ilia looked over his shoulder and saw a man he hadn't noticed before. "Ilia, this is Joey. Joey, this is my wife, Ilia."
            Joey held his hand out to her. "Hello mate. Pleasure to meet you."
            Ilia smiled and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too Joey. What brings the two of you here?"
            Link's face lost the smile that attracted Ilia to him and grew even more serious. "I heard from Zelda that Jacob was back."

 

***

            The surprised look on Ilia's face told Link that what Zelda had heard must not be true. He cast away the hope that seemed futile. I knew it was a lie. "I guess he isn't home, is he?"
            Ilia shook her head. "I'm sorry Link. If he is, he hasn't come by."
            Link sighed. "Ok. Well, we're going to stay here tonight. Then we must head back."
            "Do you really have to-" Ilia started but a scream split the air. Everyone turned in the direction of the scream.
            "Where are Bo and Jena?" Link asked slowly. Ilia turned to her husband, confused at first. Then her eyes widened as what he was asking about came to mind.
            "NO!" she cried and took off to where they heard the scream. Link and Joey were right behind her. When they reached the river, they found Bo on the bank, screaming to his sister. They looked across the river to see Jena surrounded by wolves.
            "Jena!" Ilia screamed. She attempted to run across the river, blinded by panic. But she never got anywhere because Link had grabbed her and pulled her back.
            "I'll go get her mate." Joey spoke up. Link shook his head.
            "It's not worth it Joey. You would be no match."
            Joey stared Link in the eyes. "I'll be okay mate." Before Link could say anything, Joey was already walking into the river. He managed to make it halfway across before the current suddenly picked up. Caught by surprise, he was swept off his feet and was almost dragged down the river.            But when his hand was up, another hand shot out and grabbed his, saving him from certain death. Joey looked up to see his savior.
            At first, he thought it was Link. But he noticed that there was differences in his savior's face. Instead of the bright blue eyes Link possessed, this man had gray eyes. His hair was a little darker than Link's, and he seemed more built muscle wise.
            "I got ya man!" he yelled. The man pulled Joey up and managed to toss him onto the bank. Joey slammed on the bank, his breath knocked out of him. Coughing up water, Joey rolled around to see the mysterious man jump across the river and land behind Jena. The wolves looked upon him with eager hunger. But none attempted to jump at him.
The man slowly pulled his sword out. A gasp from behind made Joey turn and he saw Link looking at the man with a surprise on his face. Turning back to the man, he saw that Jena quickly got behind him. There they stood, man vs. beast, waiting on one to attack the other. After a minute, one of the wolves grew impatient and jumped at the man, his teeth bared and a roar escaping him. The man moved out of the way and the wolf slammed into a tree.         Momentarily distracted, the man did not noticed another wolf jump at his back. Teeth sunk into his shoulder.
A scream escaped the man. He dropped his sword, reached behind to grab the wolf by his fur, and slung him over his shoulder into another wolf that had jumped to kill. Diving for his sword, the man rolled just as a paw came slamming where he was. He shoved his sword into the wolf's side and threw him into the wolf that had hit the tree. They fell into the river and were dragged down beneath the water.
            The man slowly turned to the last remaining wolf, preparing himself for an attack. But this wolf seemed to be smarter than the others. It growled at him, then turned and ran off into the woods. The man sheathed his sword and turned towards Jena. He held his hand out to her, and she took it. Looking first upstream, then at the group across the river, he pointed upstream. They turned to see a bridge hanging above the river. Understanding his meaning, Link, Joey, Bo, and Ilia walked over to the bridge.
            Along the way, Joey kept looking at the mysterious man. Mostly because he didn't want him running off with Jena, but because he couldn't help not to. It was like he knew the man from somewhere. But he did not know the man. Maybe it is because he looks so much like Link. That must be why he seems so familiar.
            When they reached the bridge, Jena ran over to them. Ilia scooped her up and held her tight. "Don't EVER do that to me again. You hear me?" she kept saying. Jena just kept nodding.
            "Where are you going?" Link said. Joey turned to see the man walking back across the bridge. He stopped and slowly turned back to the group.
            "I must leave." the man said. Link shook his head.
            "You're not going anywhere... Jacob."

 

***

            Jacob twitched at his name. How did he know? "I am not Jacob."
            "Do not lie to me." Link said, walking over to him. "I know it's you."
            "And what makes you think that?" Before he could get another word in, Link jumped at him with his sword drawn. Joey expected to see Link stop the sword, but he just kept going. A ring of swords clashing told Joey that the man who was supposed to be Jacob managed to pull his sword out. Suddenly, Link jumped back.
            "That's why Jacob. Your sword is the old Ordon blade I had used eighteen years ago. It's hard not to forget it."
            Silence. Then... "You're right. I am Jacob. But I must leave." he turned to walk away.
            "Don't go." Link pleaded with him. Jacob stopped and stared at the ground. Then he turned back around.
            "I will stay for one night. Then I must leave." his voice told Link that his decision was final.
            And Link got the idea. "That is fine. And thank you for saving Jena and Joey."
            Jacob turned his hand to Joey. At once, visions of the past swam through his head. It can't be. He is dead. "Nice to meet you Joey." He held his hand out.
            Joey took it after a few seconds. "Nice to meet you too mate." The hand shake sparked a reaction in Jacob. Our destinies are tied. I can feel it.
            Link turned to everyone. "I think we should go get something to eat. Let's go."
            Jacob went to go walk with them. An evening with his family was something that he truly needed. Suddenly, a shiver ran through his spine. He looked around, aware of something watching them. But he had a feeling that it was hunting. For what, he did not know. He hoped not to find out.
            Putting the thought in the back of his head, he took off after his family and Joey, not noticing the shadow figure that walked out of the trees behind him.

 

***

            The "hunter" that Jacob felt watching him let its prey run off. It was with the two he had fought earlier and he dared not go after it. Sure, it looked like a regular eighteen year-old, but looks were deceiving. No matter. the hunter thought. I will get my time soon. Then, with him out of the way, I will be the ruler of everything that is Hyrule.
            Making sure to stay far behind but not too far, the hunter stayed behind the group. He would wait as long as it took. The patient always win.

 

 

Chapter 5

 

            Jacob hung back from the group, thinking. What were the odds of him running into his family now, of all times? And what was with this Joey character? He looked oddly familiar to Jacob. But that's not important now. I need to find a way to get away. I'm too dangerous to be around them.
            "Mate, are you there?" a voice called out. Jacob was pulled from his thoughts to find Joey walking beside him. Jacob shrugged.
            "Just got a lot on my mind. That's all." Joey nodded.
            "I understand what you mean mate."
            "Yeah." Jacob said. They were just walking into the village. One of the little kids saw Link and cried out. A man stood up from working and noticed the group.
            "Link!" he cried out. The man rushed forward and pulled Link into a hug.
            "Nice to see you too Rusl." Link coughed up. "Could you let me go please?"
            "Sorry Link." he said sheepishly. He dropped Link and turned to Joey.
            "I don't believe I've met you. I'm Rusl, mayor of the this fine little town." he held out his hand to the Honor Guard.
            Joey took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you mate. Name's Joey. I'm a Honor Guard."
            Rusl nodded, clearly impressed. "Heard Zelda cut down on Honor Guards since the invasion 18 years ago."
            Joey nodded. "That she did. Now, there are not that many. But we are considered near the best fighters of Hyrule."
            "Sounds like you would be a tough opponent to go up against. Maybe we can spare sometime." he looked up and noticed Jacob for the first time.
            "Jacob..." he whispered. Suddenly, he lunged at Jacob. Anticipating the movement, Link jumped in between them and held Rusl back.
            "Rusl, stop! He's with us!" Link yelled but Rusl kept trying to push Link aside.
            "Rusl, without him, Jena and Joey would be dead! Stop!" At that, Rusl calmed down.
            "What do you mean they would be dead?" he asked. Link told him about the story with the wolves and Joey nearly getting swept up by the river current. After the story, Rusl looked over at Jacob.
            "I'll leave you alone only because Link says so. But I'll have my eye on you." he warned.
            "What's going on Rusl?" someone asked. Link turned to find a big man walking over to him. The man had a curious look on his face.
            "Just personal things Patrick. Everyone, this is Patrick. The new herder for the goats. Patrick, this is Link, Joey, and Link's son Jacob." Patrick nodded to all of them. But his eyes stayed glued to Jacob, like Jacob was a prize. Jacob's hand slowly slid to his sword. The look in the man's made him feel uneasy. But the look was gone and a smile crept onto his face.
            "Hello everyone. I've been waiting to meet you Link. Ilia's told me a lot about you. Is it true you're the best fighter in Hyrule?"
            Link laughed. "Now, I don't know about that. But I am good."
            Patrick laughed also. "Well, you're still good. So, what have you been into?"
            "Well..." But that was all Jacob heard. Something was rising up inside him. Here I come boy. He heard in his mind. Jacob knew what was happening. His dark self was attempting to come up and take over. Jacob did the only thing he knew to do. He turned and flung himself into the river.
            Ice cold water swarmed Jacob, stinging into his very soul. The being cried out and retreated back into the corners of his mind. For now, Jacob had won. But for how long, he did not know. Struggling, he swam up and broke the surface of the water.
            "Jacob!" his father cried. He pulled him out of the water.
            "What has gotten into you Jacob?" Link demanded to know. Jacob looked him in his eyes. The look said everything.
            "It tried coming up again." Jacob whispered.
            "What tried coming up?" Joey said.
            Jacob turned his head to Joey. "My dark self. It tried to take control of me."
            Link shook his head. "I thought you got rid of it. I thought that was why you were home."
            Jacob laughed. "I came home for a different reason."
            "Well, we need to find a way to get rid of this 'dark being'."
            "I might know a way." Everyone turned to Patrick. "I used to travel before I came to live here. I heard a few years back about some sort of being that lives in Snow Peak. Apparently, it could control the light and dark side of people. Maybe it could help you out. It's only a rumor, but it could be true."
            Link shook his head. "Too dangerous."
            "No." Link looked at Jacob in surprise. Jacob was looking at the ground. "I want to go. If there is even a small chance of killing what is inside of me, I'll take it."
            "But Jacob..." Ilia started. Link cut her off. "Are you sure that is what you want to do?"
            "I'm positive." Jacob said.
            "Ok then. But on two conditions." Jacob lifted his head. "Name them."
            "One, you go to Zelda and ask for permission. If I'm right, she has had the way to Snow Peak blocked off for a long time now." Jacob seemed hesitant about going, but eventually agreed. "And the second thing?"
            Link turned to Joey. "I'd like it if Joey could go with." Joey looked at Link in surprise at that and Jacob jumped up at that.
            "It will not work," he said. "I must go alone."
            "Look." Link shoot back. "For two long years, I have been worried sick about you. I did not know if you would ever come home or not. Now that you're back, you want to head out again. All I ask is that if he wants, I'd like Joey to go with you. Joey will watch out for you. I know he will. Would you go please?" Link said the last sentence to Joey.
            "I- I guess I can. I mean, I've never been to Snow Peak before."
            "Then it's settled. We'll head out tomorrow and see if Zelda will lift the block for you two."

 

***

            Jacob could not sleep that night. While he relished the idea of going to Snow Peak, he did not feel comfortable with Joey going. But he needed to go and that was on of the conditions his father set.
            After a few minutes, he climbed out of bed and looked out the window. Outside, it looked calm, so he stepped out the door. The cool breeze was gentle on him, and he smiled. It was funny, really. Jacob felt that he barely smiled as it was. Maybe it was because of heading to Castle Town the next day. From what he heard around town, Abby was at Castle Town. He missed her a lot and wished to see her.
            SNAP! went a branch. Jacob spun and looked out into the woods. Not a thing could be seen, but a lot could be felt. Even the wind seemed to speak of treacherous things lying beneath the shadows. Staring into the trees, he watched for movement. Seeing none, he turned to head into the house. Something out of the corner of his eye moved.           He turned and saw a person-like shape run further into the deep forest. Jacob knew he was being followed, he just wanted to know by who.
            Feeling sleep sneaking up on him, he headed back into the house and laid back down. Slowly, he slipped into his dreams.

 

 

Chapter 6

            Jacob and Joey left the next morning. Link decided to stay behind to spend some time with Ilia. It took nearly the whole day to reach Castle Town, and by the time they reached it, twilight filled the sky. Joey and Jacob walked through the gates, and were instantly caught in the flow of the busy city.
            "Well mate. What do you want to do? Should we go to the castle now or wait?"
            Jacob sat down on a bench, thinking. "You go ahead and head up to the castle. I need to go see someone. Meet me at the town square?"
            Joey nodded. "Alright mate. I'll see you later." he turned and headed for the castle. Jacob sat there for a minute, then got up and went to the town square.
            People were everywhere. It had been years since he had been in a large group of people, and he felt trapped. There are too many people here. I need to get somewhere else. Jacob thought. He rushed into a bar. There were people in there, but not as many. Feeling a little more calm, he sat down at a table. He was there for a few minutes when a pair of feet came walking into his view.
            "Hello sir. May I get your order?" a voice said. He looked up and saw none other then Abby standing next to him. Her jaw dropped at the sight of him. "Jacob?" she whispered.
            He threw a weak smile on his face. "Hey Abby. Long time no see."
            She stood there, staring at Jacob for a minute. Then she started backing up. "Don't hurt me."
            Jacob shot out of his chair. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." But she kept backing up.
            A hand landed on his shoulder. "Just what are you doing buddy?" a deep voice said. Jacob knew what was coming and he dodged out of the way of a fist aimed for his head. He brought his foot up and kicked the man's chin. His head snapped back and he fell. Another man came up and threw a punch at Jacob. But it hit thin air as Jacob moved out of the way, grabbed the man's arm, and flung the unfortunate fighter over his shoulder and through a table.
            Something shined and Jacob felt the wind of a knife barely missing his arm. He smacked the knife out of the owner's hand and punched him in guy's face. The guy fell to the ground. The door to the outside was smashed open and a squad of guards came storming in, swords raised. Jacob's hand flew to his sword and he unsheathed it, ready to fight.
            "Wait!" someone said. Jacob turned his head to see Abby step in front of him. "He was only trying to defend me, right?" she turned to what looked like the owner of the bar. He looked her in the eye and nodded.
            "That's right. He was defending her." Nobody spoke up against the owner of the bar. "Now, would you please get these unfortunate men out of my bar because they're taking up room." The guards looked at each other, then took the unconscious men out of the bar. As soon as they left, everything went back to normal. Jacob walked past Abby and headed for the door.
            "Jacob, wait." he heard Abby say. He stopped just at the door and waited for Abby to get to him. "Would you like to get a drink? My treat."
            Jacob nodded. "I would like that."
            They got their drinks and sat back at the table Jacob was at. There they sat, drinking in silence. "So, what brought you here of all places?" Abby asked.
            Jacob shrugged. "I have to talk to Queen Zelda, I'm here with a friend of my father's."
            Abby nodded. "That's always fun."
            "So, why are you here Abby? The simple farm life not good enough for you?" Jacob laughed as she punched him in his arm.
            "No! That's not it. I just... I wanted to experience the city life. I guess you could say I was like Beth. It's not exactly how I imagined it."
            Jacob took her hand. "I'm sorry."
            Abby smiled at him. "It's okay. I wanted to become a dancer, but this was the only place that I could get into."
            "I guess we have our own dreams." Jacob said absently.
            "What about you Jacob? I haven't seen you in two years. No one knows what you have been up to." Jacob lowered his eyes to the ground.
            "Sometimes, I think it's better that way." Abby went silent for a minute, then. "What happened then?"
            Jacob looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
            Abby hesitated. "I mean two years ago. What happened?" With that question, all the memories of what happened forced their way into Jacob's mind. It was too much for him. He stood up.
            "What's wrong Jacob?" Abby asked, concerned.
            "I have to go." Jacob said bluntly, forcing his way through the crowd to the door. He pushed the door open and saw a nearly empty street. Exactly how I need it. Jacob thought as he walked down the street. Hearing the door he just came through open and close, Jacob turned to see Abby behind him.
            "Jacob, I just wanted to say before you left. I've missed you."
            Jacob took her hands. "I missed you too." Abby's face came closer to Jacob's.
            "I also have something I've been wanting to do." Abby whispered.
            "And what is that?" Jacob asked. Abby smiled, leaned in, and kissed Jacob. Jacob kissed her back. He truly enjoyed the moment. Suddenly, he felt something inside him strike out. Jacob cried out and fell to the ground. Abby knelt beside him. "Jacob! What's wrong?"
            "Ab-bby..." he struggled to say. "G-get out of h-here!" he cried out. She backed away, scared. Jacob closed his eyes and saw his dark spirit inside of him, watching him.
            Well boy, you have come a long way. It seemed to say.
Get out of my head. Jacob said. He lashed out at the Being and pushed it back.
            It laughed. You can't fight me for long Jacob. Eventually, I will win.
            Over my dead body. Jacob said. He pushed with all the power he could muster. The Being, in surprise, was thrown out into the dark.
            I'm still here Jacob. It seemed to shout. You cannot get rid of me easily. Then the inside of Jacob's mind went quiet except his own thoughts. He opened his eyes to find that he was laying on his back. Above him, Abby and Joey were looking down on him.
            "About time you woke up mate." Joey said. He held his hand out to Jacob. "I was beginning to think that you were dead." Jacob smiled.
            "You can't get rid of me that easily." he said. Taking Joey's hand, Jacob stood up. "What did the Queen say?"
            Well, she wants you to go see her. She wants to make sure it's really you mate."
            Jacob sighed. "Oh, well. Let's go."

 

***

            Jacob stood in front of Zelda's study door, afraid to go in. He still felt terrible about what he had done to her all those years ago, and he could only imagine how she was feeling. After a minute, he knocked on the door. "Come in." a voice said. Jacob opened the door and walked in.
            Everything was organized it seemed. Zelda sat at her desk, watching Jacob. "Well, well. Hello Jacob."
            Jacob knelt down onto one knee. "Hello Queen Zelda."
            Zelda stood and walked over to him. Jacob stayed still. He knew he deserved any kind of beating she could give him. He had taken her husband from her and Jacob knew that he could never repay her for what he had done.   After a minute of staring at him, she said, "Stand." Jacob stood.
            She slapped him in the face. He could feel the sting of where her hand hit, but he didn't dare to do anything to make it feel better. It was a pain he knew he deserved. Zelda turned. "I hear you need to go to Snow Peak."
            He nodded. "That's right."
            She turned back to him. "Why?"
            Jacob was surprised. He thought Joey already told her. "There may be a way to get rid of the Being inside of me there. It could save us all."
            She nodded. "You may go. But Joey is going with you."
            Jacob nodded. "Thank you." he turned to leave.
            "Jacob." Jacob stopped and turned back to the Queen. "Remember this. You took my husband away from me. You took my daughter's father away from her. If it ever comes down to it, if I feel like I must, I will kill you. Not only to save all of Hyrule either."
            Jacob stood there for a moment, then nodded his understanding. "You may leave." Zelda said. Jacob walked out the door.

 

***

            "Well, let's go mate. We got a long way to Snow Peak." Joey said the next morning. He and Jacob were standing just outside the gates, getting their horses set up for the journey.
            "Jacob!" someone shouted. Jacob turned to see Abby running down the bridge. She stopped at him, trying to catch her breath.
            "I wanted to give you this." She said. She held out a necklace with the Triforce symbol attached to it. Jacob took it and admired it. Then he put it on.
            "Thank you Abby. I will be sure to keep this with me."
Abby smiled. "And I wanted to give you this too." She leaned forward and kissed him. They stood there for a moment, kissing. They finally stopped when Joey shouted, "Okay love birds! Let's cut the make out session and leave!" They laughed.
            "I'll see you when I get back." Jacob said.
            "Promise?" Abby asked. Jacob smiled and kissed her one last time.
            "Promise." with that, he jumped onto his horse. Together with Joey, they took off north. Towards their destination.

 

***

 

            Unknown to either of them, they had a follower. The hunter had finally found his prey and intended to stay with him. The hunter had lost his prey in the bar fight last night, and had spent the whole night searching for it. But now that the prey was in the hunter's sight, he would not wander from it again.

 

 

Chapter 7

            "So, tell me about yourself mate." Joey asked as they rode down the path towards Snow Peak.
            Jacob shrugged. "There's not much to say. I'm what you can call your average Hylian. Except with a very bad problem."
            Joey grew quiet. "What happened back there? When I saw you guys you seemed as if you were struggling with something."
            Jacob stopped. "Maybe we should stop here for the night."
            Joey nodded. "Okay."
            They stopped at a spring. Dismounting his horse, Jacob started picking up wood while Joey took the horses to get something to eat and drink. After getting everything set up, Jacob and Joey sat down next to a fire. There was silence for a while.
            "Two years ago," Jacob started to say. "Me and my family went to the Ordon spring to have fun. Once there, a light came out of the sky. It flew over me and engulfed me. There, I met The Great Fairy. She talked to me about my father and that I was to release Ganondorf. It was only later that I learned that Ganondorf was using me.
            "After the light vanished, I woke up in my bed at home. An urge came over me, one that I never felt before. It propelled me to go out in search for a way to bring Ganondorf back. Eventually, after running around all of Hyrule, I came to find that there was something inside of me. Part of me knew what was happening, part of me couldn't stop it. So, I tried to get my father to kill me. It didn't work.
            "I would lose control every now and then. Black outs would take me over, and I would lose consciousness for a while. So, I decided to continue seeking out Ganondorf, believing he could destroy whatever was inside of me. I..." Jacob went quiet for a second and Joey did not rush him.
            "I kidnapped my family and Abby. We went to the Forest Temple, where I waited for my father and Rusl to come and save them. I wanted them to be alone, but Zelda had managed to come. When I saw her, something came up inside of me. I shot an arrow, intending to kill her. But Rusl jumped in front of Zelda and took the arrow. I managed to convince my father to take me to The Sacred Grove. There, I managed to obtain the Master Sword. But I underestimated my father. He followed me into the Grove and attempted to stop me. I prevailed by nearly killing the Queen of Hyrule.
            "From there, I went to the Twilight world-" Joey interrupted him.
            "Twilight world?" he asked.
            Jacob nodded. "It is like a prison in another world. Long ago, evil spellcasters were sent there by an ancient mirror. I found my way into the Palace there, and released Ganondorf, believing he would help me. Instead, he took my body over and I was trapped in my own mind. While I was trapped, the evil Being inside of me came and helped me take over my body long enough for my father to kill Ganondorf.
            "After that," Jacob concluded. "I wandered the world in search for a way to remove what was in me. But so far, every technique I've tried has failed. So far, I've managed to keep it at bay. But it's only a matter of time before it takes me over completely. Then only the Goddess' know what will happen."
            Joey stayed silent for a while, going over what Jacob had just told him. "So you will do anything to stop this evil... Being, right?"
            Jacob nodded once again. "I will give my life to make sure this thing never truly sees the light of day."
            Joey looked out into the woods. What was on his mind Jacob did not know. But he did not need to ponder long. "I will help you."
            Jacob shook his head. "It's bad enough that you're with me right now. I don't want you risking your life for me. Not waste it and have your family lose you."
            Joey grew quiet. "I'm an only child. My parents were killed when I was only a little kid. I grew up in Castle Town with a friend of mine."
            Jacob was speechless at that. He didn't expect to hear what he had just heard. "I'm sorry Joey."
            Joey shrugged. "It's okay. I've been over it for a long time." Something rustled in the bushes beside them. Both Jacob and Joey drew their swords out and jumped to their feet. They continued to stare at where the noise came from.            A German Shepard slowly came limping out, a cub right at its feet.
            "We have to help them." Joey said. He stepped forward to help the dogs.
            "Wait!" Jacob shouted just as two men jumped out on either side of them. One brought his sword next to Joey's throat as the other lunged at Jacob. Jacob quickly took the man down and turned to see Joey being captive.
            "Now, now. Can't we all get along?" someone said. He walked out the trees and stepped in front of Joey. Jacob quickly looked around, looking for any other men that could be hiding.
            "Now, we're willing to leave the both of you alone if you give us what we want."
            "And what would that be?" Jacob said, keeping an eye on his surroundings.
            The man smiled. "I want the dog. That's what we were hunting." he took a step towards the wounded animal.
            "Argh!" someone shouted. Jacob turned his head to see Joey take down the man who had threatened him. Throwing the knife away, he stepped in between the hunter and the injured animal. "You will not touch this dog."
            The hunter smiled. "And who do you think you are?"
            Joey smiled and drew his sword. "I am a Hylian Honor Guard. If you take another step towards this dog, I will have you arrested."
            The hunter's smile twitched a little. "So be it. We will leave. But just know, you won't always be in command. Let's go boys." he turned and disappeared into the trees. The two men with him followed suit. Joey and Jacob waited for the sounds of them walking to soften before turning to the dogs.
            "Jacob..." Joey said. He knelt down beside the dogs. "This was a mother. She's dead."
            Jacob shook his head. "I can't believe they would do that." He saw a movement in the bushes and the cub came walking out. Joey noticed it also.
            "We can't leave him alone. He will die." Joey said. He picked up the cub.
            "You can have him, Joey. My life doesn't really need any companions right now." Joey smiled.
            "What do you think I should name him?" Joey asked. Jacob shrugged.
            "I think I should name him Arek. It just sounds like his kind of name. What do you think about that Arek?" Joey asked the pup. It licked his face. Joey laughed. He looked over to see Jacob smiling a little.
            "That's a first." Joey said. It instantly disappeared.
"Let's get some rest. We reach Snow Peak tomorrow." Jacob said, laying down on the ground.
            Joey laid down and everything went quiet. Only the sound of the forest could be heard. "Jacob?"
            "Yeah Joey?" Jacob asked.
            "Do you really think that the world could end if your dark side gets out?"
            Jacob didn't answer. Joey was starting to think that he had asked something that he shouldn't have asked. Then,             "Yes Joey. I believe the world will end. But if I have anything to say about it, I will make sure that it never happens."

 

 

Chapter 8

            The group left out the next morning, feeling fully rested. Jacob lead as Joey and Arek stayed behind him. Arek was a playful thing, always staying near Joey. As Jacob watched the little pup fun around, he couldn't help but to smile. Here they were, heading into one of the most dangerous places in Hyrule with a Honor Guard and a teenage boy who harbored an ancient evil inside of him, and the dog acted like all was fine in the world.
            By the time the sun was ready to set, they reached the mountain. They camped right at the path that led up the mountain.
            Arek ran around, looking happy. He saw a rabbit and chased after it. Jacob and Joey laughed at the rabbit shot past Arek and managed to lose him. Arek came back empty.
            "It's okay buddy." Joey said, picking up his dog. "When you grow up, you'll be able to catch all the rabbits you want." Arek's tail started wagging at the mention of that. He curled up next to Joey and was sound asleep in a minute.
            "So..." Joey said, staring at the fire they had built. "We reach the place where this 'being' is said to be tomorrow."
            Jacob nodded. "That's right." he turned to Joey.
"Joey, look-" he started.
            "I know what you're going to say mate." Joey said, cutting Jacob off. "And I will tell you now, it won't work. I'm with you mate. To the end."
            Jacob sat there, staring into space. "Thank you Joey."
Joey shrugged. "No problem mate." he went to go lay down, but was pushed down.
            "What the-" he shouted. Rolling on the ground, Joey saw Jacob in combat with a knighted figure. Another was walking over to Joey, sword drawn. Joey grabbed his sword and rolled to his feet, facing his attacker. The knight jumped at Joey, bringing his sword down upon Joey's. The clash of swords could be heard as Jacob and Joey did their best to fend off their attackers. Jacob managed to knock off a piece of his opponents armor, pushing it to the ground.
            "Joey! These are Darknuts!" Joey smiled. He knew what to do with Darknuts. He quickly stepped back from it, letting it come to him. It threw itself at Joey, but missed as Joey rolled out of the way and brought his sword up, breaking a piece of its armor off. He continued doing so until all the armor was off. The Darknut jumped away from Joey and flung its sword at Joey. Joey dodged the sword and rushed the Darknut, who had drew a rapier and came crashing down upon Joey.
            After a brief struggle, Joey managed to grab hold of the Darknuts wrist. He twisted it and let the rapier tumble from its hand. Not wasting any time, Joey spun around and shoved his sword into the creatures heart. It let out a long cry of pain and blew up. Joey stepped back and noticed Jacob standing over the other fallen Darknut. He raised his sword up and brought it crashing down into its head. No sound escaped this one as it too blew up.
            Stepping back from the battle site, a voice rang through the air. "I see you beat my guards! They are the toughest of my minions, and you handled them with ease. I am impressed!"
            "Who are you?" Jacob cried back. A figure came floating down in front of them and looked at them.
            "I am which you seek young ones." it said. It looked like a man, but something about it just didn't give it an exact gender.
            "You're the being that can control the light side and dark side of a person?" Jacob asked. The person nodded. "Good, because-"
            "I know why you are here. And what you are going to ask will be difficult for me to do." it said.
            "I don't care. Can you do it?" Jacob said, getting angry. Joey placed a hand on his shoulder.
            "Calm down mate." he said. Jacob swatted his hand away. "Can you?!" he cried.
            The being took a long look at Jacob, then said, "It will be difficult, but I will try. Follow me." It turned and walked into the woods. Joey and Jacob looked at each other, then followed suit.

 

***

            They walked for what seemed like hours, never stopping. Eventually, they came out of the woods to find a large mansion in front of them. The being walked through the door, and Jacob and Joey followed.
            They stopped in the hallway. The being stood in the middle, with both fighters on either side of them. The being looked towards Jacob. "Step forward my boy." Jacob stepped to the being, standing in front of it. Joey could see in his hands the Triforce necklace that Abby gave him. He was probably thinking of her right now, wondering if he would get home.
            The being placed each hand on Jacob's temples and closed its eyes. It felt like the whole room had gotten colder all of a sudden. Joey pulled Arek closer to him, trying to keep the pup warm. Finally, the being let go of Jacob. Jacob collapsed to the floor.
            "Jacob!" Joey cried and stepped forward to help his friend. But he was pushed back by the being.
            "You must not touch him. What I have done it placed a spell on him. It will extract the evil from him and send it to the afterlife, but he must not be touched by anyone. If that happens, the evil will take over the poor soul. If that happens, he will not be held back by the person and the evil will be in this world."
            Joey sighed. "So what should I do?"
            "Watch over him. He needs you now, and he will need you in the future." Before Joey could ask what the being meant, it vanished. He was alone with a unconscious Jacob and a young pup.
            "Just great." Joey muttered. He pulled a chair up to Jacob and sat down in it, watching over his friend. Eventually, he fell asleep. He dreamed of dark things, and of death.

 

***

 

            The hunter walked into the mansion. He could believe what he saw. His prey was asleep on the floor, and the other Hylian was also asleep in a chair. The hunter noticed a dog laying on the Hylian's lap.
            This is too easy. The hunter thought as he crept through the hallway, making his way to the Hylians. He stood over his prey. "I have you now." he whispered as he grabbed it by the throat.
            Something surged through him. He cried out and tried to let go, but his hands seemed to be clamped onto the Hylian. It's eyes flew open and it began to scream in pain. The hunter knew what was going on. The dark Being was slipping itself into his mind and soul. And there was nothing the hunter could do about it.
            Ah... A voice in his head said. It seems I have found a suitable body to inhabit. I must say, you are very foolish. The hunter felt like it was getting ripped apart on the inside. His very essence was being destroyed. He cried out one final time before he was cast out of his body into the afterlife.

 

***

 

            Joey awoke to the sound of screaming. He looked up to find a man strangling Jacob, his face revealing the pain of what he was going through. Joey instantly knew what was happening. Drawing his sword, Joey moved forward to kill the man before he could be fully possessed. But something stopped his sword an inch before his strike could land.
            "Ah. Now I know why he thought you looked familiar." The man said. But Joey knew this was no ordinary man. It was the evil being inside Jacob. The Being lifted its head.
            "Patrick?" Joey said before he was back-handed into a pillar. Dust rained down on Joey as he fell to the floor. Struggling to his feet, Joey rushed the Being only to be lifted into the air and through a door. He crashed into a bookcase and fell to the floor, the bookcase landing on him. Dazed from the impact, Joey barely noticed the Being walk into the room and throw the bookcase out the window. He grabbed Joey by the throat and lifted him into the air.
            "I don't know how he managed it, but he did a good job." The Being said, examining Joey. Joey lashed out and kicked The Being in the face. He was released and landed on his feet. Not wasting any more time, Joey did what Link had done to him. He rushed at The Being and rammed his head into its stomach, pushing it back. But The Being's feet was firmly planted. Screaming out, The Being grabbed Joey by the waist, lifted him up, and flung him through a wall. Joey landed on a table and lay there in agony. The Being walked up to him.
            "You're just as weak as you're other. It's not a surprise I killed him." The Being said mockingly.
            "Wh-what are you ta-talking about?" Joey struggled to say. The Being chuckled and stepped beside Joey.
            "I managed to extract your dark side and use it to my advantage. He would act as if he was Jacob's friend, but he was really keeping tabs on Jacob's progress. Unfortunately, he decided to betray me and sat you Hylian Guards after me. So I killed Joseph in Kakariko Village. But it seems his other side felt obligated to continue his mission."
            Joey couldn't believe what he was hearing. He flung a punch at The Being but it caught the punch and twisted Joey's wrist. Joey cried out and doubled over in pain.
            "But enough talk," The Being said. "It's time to finish the job." He pulled a knife from a pouch and prepared to kill Joey.
            "No!!" a voice cried out. The Being turned to find Jacob fling himself at it. Jacob crashed into The Being and sent the both of them flying out the window, glass flying everywhere.
            "Jacob!" Joey cried. He jumped off the table and ran to the window. Looking out it, he saw Jacob hanging from a branch, The Being nowhere in sight.
            "Hold on mate!" Joey said. He turned to the room to look for anything to get Jacob. He found a rope, which looked long enough. He grabbed it and flung it out the window. It landed next to him. "Grab on!" Jacob didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the rope and let Joey pull him up. When Jacob was in the room, they collapsed on the floor. After a minute, Jacob stood and went to go leave.
            "What are you doing mate?" Joey asked.
            "I have to kill it."
            "What are you talking about? It fell to its death." Jacob shook his head.
            "No, it didn't. It teleported away after I let go of it. It's still alive."
            Joey stepped in front of him. "You can't do it Jacob. That thing nearly killed us both. I won't let you die mate."
Jacob stared Joey in the eyes. "Joey, I told you before. I must stop it. It's the only way. Even if I die." He tried to push Joey out of the way, but Joey stayed firm.
            "Are you honestly going to go through with it? After all that just happened, You're still going to try and play the hero?" Jacob nodded.
            Joey sighed. "Then I guess I'm going with you."
            "No," Jacob said. "The mission is done for you. You can go home." Joey laughed.
            "I'm a Honor Guard mate. My mission is to keep Hyrule safe. And if that thing is running around, then my mission is far from over. Besides, I owe a debt to your father."
            Jacob wanted to know what he was talking about, but the time for revelations was for later. "Are you sure Joey?"
            A smile came onto Joey's face. "To the end mate."

 

 

Chapter 9

            "Mate, how exactly are we going to kill Darkie?" Joey asked as they walked out of the mansion. Jacob looked at him.
            "It's simple. We are going to get the Master Sword." Jacob noticed that Joey had stopped walking.
            "The Master Sword? THE Master Sword? What makes you think we can use it?"
            Jacob continued walking. "Because I used it once before two years ago. I'm pretty sure I can use it again."
            "Do you even know where it is?" Joey asked.
            Jacob shook his head. "No, but my father does. That is why we are going to see him."
            Joey couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Even if we could get it mate, how are we going to get to Ordon? It's one day away even if we hurry and don't rest." Jacob smiled.
            "I know Joey. But I have a plan." He pulled something out of his pocket. Joey noticed it was a pendant. Jacob opened it up and looked into it.
            "Ah. Hello my good boy." A voice said. Joey looked around to see where it had come from, then he noticed that the voice had come out of the pendant.
            "Hello Professor. I need your help."
            "Ask and you shall receive." the pendant said, chuckling.
            "We have unleashed the evil I told you about. Now it is loose in Hyrule. I am up in the Snow Peak mountains with a Honor Guard by the name of Joey De Angelis. We need to get to Ordon to ask The Hero Link where he has hid The Master Sword. Do you think you could help us?"
            "Well..." the pendant said. "I suppose I could. I mean, it will be difficult. Show me this Joey so I can size him up." Jacob turned the pendant towards Joey. Joey jumped back, surprised to see a short man staring at him through the pendant.
            "Oh, by the way Joey, this is Professor Mathis. I met him during my travels and we sort of became friends. He gave me this pendant so I can reach him anytime I need help."
            "And right you should've boy. Now, this will hurt a bit, but I think I can get you to Ordon by using one of the old Twilight portals still near Ordon. But like I said, it will hurt."
            Jacob looked over at his friend. "You think you can handle it?"
            Joey smiled. "Bring it on mate." he closed his eyes though, and prayed to the Goddess' to let him live through this. Suddenly, he felt himself get broken into pieces without so much of the pain. He wanted to cry out, but he couldn't find his voice. As soon as it began, it was over and Joey was lying in water. He pulled himself up to find that he was in the Ordon Spring. Surprised that it work, he stood up only to feel Jacob splash down beside him. Jacob stood up, looked around, and pulled the pendant back out.
            "Thank you Professor. You've done it once again."
            "Anytime my boy. Remember to keep in touch!" Mathis shouted before Jacob closed the pendant and slipped it into his pocket.
            "He sure seems like a cheeky fellow, huh?" Joey remarked sarcastically. Jacob laughed.
            "He is, I'll admit. But he is a good man. Now, let's go see my father." they started walking towards town.             Suddenly, a Moblin jumped out and tackled Joey. They went crashing to the ground with the Moblin on top.
            "Hehe. My master told me you would be coming." It laughed as Joey wrestled with it.
            "Oh, I bet." Jacob said. The Moblin turned its head only to have a foot slam into it. The Moblin flew off Joey and landed in the water. Joey jumped up, drew his sword, and stabbed it as it was getting up. The Moblin uttered a tiny scream as it exploded into nothing. Joey sighed.
            "Thanks mate. I owe you."
            "It's nothing. I just wonder how it knew we were going to be here."
            Joey shrugged. "Maybe since he was in you mate, Darkie knew you would come back here at least to make sure your family was safe..." Joey trailed off, knowing what he just said would cause Jacob to panic. Jacob's eyes grew wide.
            "Jacob?" Joey asked? Jacob turned to him.
            "That means he may have gone for Abby! I need to go make sure she's ok." Jacob started walking north, but Joey stopped him.
            "Listen mate. You head to Ordon and get The Master Sword. I'll go check on Abby. They'll let me through since I am a Honor Guard."
            Jacob sighed, knowing what he was saying was true.     "Alright. But be careful Joey."
            Joey nodded. "You do the same mate." he turned and ran to Castle Town. Jacob looked after him for a minute, then turned and ran towards Ordon.

***

            Jacob dashed into the village. Link wasn't in his house, so he hoped that he would be here. Sure enough, Jacob saw his father standing outside Rusl's house, talking to the mayor.
            "Father!" he cried out. Link turned and saw his son hurrying to him.
            "Jacob? What is it?" Jacob stopped short of Link, trying to catch his breath.
            "I n-need the M-master Sw-sword father." Link looked confused.
            "The Master Sword? Why?" Jacob looked his father in the eyes.
            "Because my dark side has escaped. We are now on the eve of our destruction. The only way to prevent it is The Master Sword. Now please father, where is it?!"
            Link stared at his son. Had this happened two years ago, he would've dismissed the idea and sent Jacob to play. But he had seen first hand what this 'evil' could do, and anything he could do to help he would do.
            "Follow me Jacob." Link led Jacob to his house. They climbed down to the basement, where they walked over to a chest. Link used a key to unlock the chest and pushed it open. Inside, the Evil's Bane laid, untouched. Jacob reached it to grab it, hoping he could. He was surprised when the blade shot up and into his hand. Link smiled.
            "It seems The Master Sword has accepted you as its new master." Jacob stared at the sword.
            "Now I need to catch up with Joey. He went to check on Abby." Link nodded.
            Jacob went to go walk out, but stopped. He turned back to his father and handed him another sword. Link pulled it out of its sheath to see that it was his old Ordon sword.
            "I figured that you would like it back after all these years. It's a reliable sword father."
            Link nodded. "That it is my son. Now go. I'll bring the family to Castle Town so we are all together for this."
Jacob nodded. "Ok father. I will see you."

 

***

            Joey dashed through the gates. He had to hurry as fast as he could. There was no time left. Running through the square, he spotted Abby leaving the bar where she worked.
            "Abby!" Joey called out. Abby looked around. When she finally noticed Joey, she waved. He ran over to her and grabbed her arm.
            "We need to leave. Now." he said.
            Abby looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
            Joey leaned towards her. "You're in danger. Everyone here is in danger. We need to leave."
            "Awe, but then you would miss the show." a voice said behind him. Joey spun around only to get punched in the face. He flew back into the fountain. Everyone was screaming and running in different directions. Joey looked up to see Dark advance on Abby.
            "Oh, no you don't!" Joey shouted as he threw himself at Dark. He collided into him and they fell to the ground. Dark kicked at Joey and knocked him off. Joey went rolling and jumped to his feet, pulling his sword out along the way. Dark slowly pulled his sword out and faced the Honor Guard.
            "You certainly are courageous, I will give you that much." Dark swung at Joey but was blocked. "But it is futile. Eventually, even the darkness wins."
            "Oh yeah?" Joey jumped at Dark, swords clashing. Every thrust was blocked by Dark's swift movements. "Well, not today!" He slashed Dark's arm and kicked him in the chest. Dark fell to the ground, but was instantly back up. He started rushing Joey, throwing strikes everywhere.        Eventually, Joey's sword was knocked out of his hands. It came crashing a few feet away. Before Joey could retrieve it, Dark's sword was at his throat.
            "You know, I will admit. You're dark side wasn't much of a fighter. It was no surprise he ran from me. But you boy. You are the perfect soldier. I could use a fighter like you when I take over."
            Joey stood still. "Go to hell." he quickly swatted the sword away from him and threw a punch at Dark. But Dark moved out of the way, grabbed Joey's arm, and flung him into a wall. Joey lay there, unconscious. Dark smiled, then advanced onto Abby. She started backing up, but he grabbed her hair. Pulling her up, he smiled.
            "Now you are mine pretty."
            "JACOB!!!" Abby screamed out, praying for a miracle.

***

            Jacob was running through Hyrule Field when he began to feel a strange feeling. His hand instantly went to the Triforce necklace Abby gave him, and it became clear. Abby is in danger. He thought. Jacob took one step forward, then felt himself being lifted into the air. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was in Castle Town square. The first thing he saw was Joey unconcious. Jacob looked over and saw Dark holding Abby by the hair.
            "JACOB!!!" she cried out.
            "I'm here Abby!" he said. Dark turned in surprise. He threw Abby to the ground and walked over to Jacob.
            "Well, well Jacob. It seems you have managed to get here in time. But it is all for nothing. I will kill you, your friend, and maybe your girl. Of course, I might let her live to be my pet."
            Jacob could feel the anger inside of him rise up. He slowly drew The Master Sword and got into his fighting stance. Dark's eyes went wide as he saw the shining blade in Jacob's hands. "It seems you have found a use for the Master Sword again. How very good for you." He launched himself into the air and came crashing down upon Jacob.   Jacob blocked Dark's attack, then pushed his sword aside and attempted to slice his hand off. Dark moved back and lashed out at Jacob, but Jacob pushed the punch aside and tried driving his sword up into the demon's heart, but was unlucky as Dark jumped back.
            "It seems we are evenly matched. Looks like this will go on forever." Dark laughed, then screamed as a sword was drove through his heart. He turned to find Joey holding the sword, smiling. "Guess not mate." he back-flipped away as Dark swung at him.
            "You will pay!" Dark cried.
            "Hey Dark!" Dark turned and saw light explode in front of him. He felt agonizing pain in his heart. When the light settled, Dark saw the hilt of the Master Sword sticking up, with the blade deep inside of him. He looked up to see Jacob. "I guess your time is up."
            "No!" he cried out. He lunged at Jacob, but Jacob stepped out of the way and tripped Dark. Dark fell to the ground and the blade went even deeper. He cried out one final time before he vanished.

***

            Jacob walked over to where the sword laid and picked it up. He turned to Joey. "At last. It is over." he sighed from exhaustion. Abby ran up into Jacob's arms and hugged him tight. Joey came walking up beside them, smiling.
            "That it is mate. Nice stab, by the way. Couldn't have done it better myself. Oh, look who decided to show up NOW?" Jacob and Abby turned to see guards running towards them. "Drop your weapons!" one of them called out.
            "Calm down you idiots! I'm a Honor Guard. And in case you didn't realize, we just saved your sorry butts!" the guards instantly backed down. The trio was surprised to see Zelda step out to them.
            "Good work Joey and Jacob. It seems you have saved the day." she turned towards Jacob. "I would assume that the man you killed was..."
            Jacob nodded. "He was my dark side. But he is gone now. We do not have to worry about him" Zelda nodded.
            "As it should be. You know, we could use more men like you in our Honor Guards. You thinking of joining?"
            Jacob looked at Joey, then at Abby, then back at Zelda. "It would be a honor, but I think I will just stay with Abby. I've had my share of adventures for the last two years. I want to relax for a while."
            Zelda smiled. "I understand. Take care Jacob. Joey, if you could come with me."
            Joey stood still. "If it is okay with you Queen, I would like to be posted at Ordon."
            Zelda looked surprised. "Are you sure Joey?"
            Joey nodded. "Yes I am Queen Zelda."
            Zelda nodded. "Then it is settled. You will head out for Ordon tomorrow. Now, I must go. Joey, I would like you to follow me please." Joey turned and held out his hand to Jacob.
            "It was interesting mate. Tell Mathis that I said to not be so cheeky the whole time." Jacob laughed and shook his hand.
            "It has been fun Joey. Take care of yourself also." Joey smiled and walked off with Zelda. A bark was heard. Everyone turned around to see Arek come bounding after Joey.
            "Arek!" Joey said. Arek jumped into his arms and began licking him. Everyone laughed at the little pup. Joey turned back to Zelda. "Let us go Queen."
            Jacob watched them walk off, then turned to Abby.
"Looks like it's just the two of us." Abby said, smiling up at Jacob.
            "Wouldn't have it any other way." he replied and kissed her. For once, all was right with Jacob's world.

***

            "Argh!" Dark cried out. He punched the tree that he was by. Now, he was stuck in the afterlife. It normally wouldn't be a problem, but since he was stuck in this inferior body, he couldn't escape. "That boy has ruined my plans for too long. I will finish him soon."
            "Maybe you could use some help." a deep voice replied. Dark turned and looked at the figure in surprise.
            "Well, if it isn't the man himself?" Dark smiled.
Ganondorf laughed. "Yes it is. I believe we could both do with getting out of here. And I have the perfect plan."
            Dark looked interested. "Do tell me." and so the planning began. They thought it was all over.

But it was really far from over. Revenge was only the beginning.

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