Before there was love, before there was hate, before there was time, there was only the Triforce. The Triforce was made up of three elements. Water was clean, calm, and always flowing with energy. Earth was wise, noble, and strong. Dark Matter was powerful, cunning, yet mysterious. Together, these elements were in perfect balance. From their mighty power the universe was formed. During this time the Triforce watched over all of creation and kept it safe. All the lands were in harmony and there was peace.
Then, about six billion years ago a lightning bolt of pure hatred from an unknown universe struck the Triforce and split it in three. The divided Triforce was spread throughout time and space and the universe was left without a protector. Over the next few billion years Water, Earth, and Dark Matter found their ways to the planet Earth where three warriors would be chosen to be their rightful owners and return peace to the universe.
One day a few years ago a young boy named Jared was walking down a long and lonesome road just outside of Poulsbo, Washington. He had no friends at school and sometimes wondered what his place in the world was, and yet, there was something unique about Jared. He always had a calm and passive disposition, but he was also powerful, like a rushing river. As he was walking he noticed something floating in the creek next to the road. It was a small blue ball. He picked it up and held it up to the sky, taking in all it’s power. “I feel like this ball is a part of me, I will keep it with me always.” A warrior was born.
A few years later another boy named Lars was on a hike through the woods of Poulsbo. Lars, like Jared, had no friends and was always picked on by his peers. He spent his time reading books on every subject. He was wise beyond his years. He was also very strong from years of hard work on his grandma’s farm, digging in the dirt. On this fateful hike, Lars noticed a green ball sticking out of the ground. He picked it up and felt it’s power. “I will always be one with the Earth.” There are no accidents when it comes to the Triforce. These mere boys were chosen because of their powerful mental gifts and virtue. But don’t forget the third member of the Triforce. Dark Matter chose it’s master for much different reasons.
On a day only a few months ago a boy named Todd was preparing for his first day of school at North Kitsap. Todd was a very angry person. He never had even one friend in his whole life. His parents died in a lightning storm when he was ten years old and he now lived with a morbidly obese woman named Marguerite. They had moved to Poulsbo so Marguerite could take a job as a hypnotist. Todd hated Marguerite just like how he hated most things. Todd was sitting in his poorly lit room which had no windows and almost no furniture. He was angry because his backpack was old and all ripped up and because he didn’t have any nice things and because Marguerite was nagging him to get ready for school. Suddenly in a fit of pure rage, he stood up and punched the only lamp in the room. It crashed to the floor and went out. The room was pure dark. After calming down slightly, Todd picked up the lamp and turned it back on. There on the table was Dark Matter. “What the hell is this?” He could feel it’s power pulsing through the room but at that moment Marguerite called him downstairs. He pocketed the purple ball and left the room.
Jared hadn’t changed much since he discovered water. The only cool thing about him was his hot girlfriend Kelly, but this caused all the guys at school to hate him. He never seemed to care too much about all this though. So on the first day of school he was walking down the hallway with The Beegees playing on his ipod. He walked slowly and bounced Water on the ground with every step. He entered the cafeteria and bought two slices of pizza. He then continued walking towards his first class. Passing him in the other direction was Lars, but they didn’t notice each other. Lars also liked to bounce Earth on the ground and off the walls, he had all the right moves. He walked right past Todd at his locker. Todd looked up as Lars walked by and noticed Earth in his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Dark Matter and gave it a questioning look.
A few minutes later Lars walked into Mr. Hodin’s science class. “You’re late, that’s another detention.” “What the hell Hodin I was ten seconds late!” “Does it look like I care you lazy pile?!” Mr. Hodin began passing back papers. He gave Jared his. “Maybe if you weren’t so lazy you would actually amount to something.” Then he turned to Todd. “Are you as stupid as everyone else in this class?” Todd didn’t answer. No one knew it but there was a great amount of significance behind this squabble. For the first time in billions of years the Triforce was united in one place. Just as Mr. Hodin sat back down at his desk the room was filled with a flash of light. When the light dimmed to normal everyone looked to the center of the room, there was Water, Earth, and Dark Matter, floating in the air, spinning in orbit. “What the hell was that!” screamed Mr. Hodin. Jared, Lars, and Todd quickly snatched their respective balls and looked around nervously, not knowing what had just happened. “You three take your toys and get out of my classroom in Jesus’ name I pray!” The three quickly and silently left the room. Once they were safely outside they looked at each other with wide eyes. “I-I-I don’t think we’ve ever met, I’m Jared.” “The name’s Todd, I’m new in town.” “I’m Lars. How could it be that all three of us have balls like these?” Jared asked questioningly, “Could it be that we have discovered the fabled Triforce of the ancient universe?” Todd got his history book out of his backpack. “It says, Some historians believe the universe was created by the mighty Triforce, consisting of three spheres of pure life giving energy. Water was blue, Earth was green, and Dark Matter was purple. This theory is seen more as a myth because there have been no signs of the Triforce for over six billion years.” Lars replied excitedly, “My God I believe we have discovered the Triforce!” “There’s only one way to find out for sure,” Jared said slyly, “Have either of you ever played wall ball?”
They walked quickly over to the Jerry Parish Wall, or JPW, which was located at the school’s football stadium. As soon as they arrived they dropped their backpacks and formed a line facing the wall. Lars broke the silence. “Well here goes nothing”, and he bounced Earth off the ground and then hit it right out of the air using his hand. It smacked against the wall with a great thud and bounced back towards the boys. Jared returned it easily. Even though he was terrible at every other sport, this was effortless for him. Todd then returned Jared’s shot with surprising power. They continued the rotation and their skills improved with every thunderous collision of rubber and flesh. They explored the unique charms of the JPW, from the protrusion, the camera shot, and the railings, to the trapezoid. They quickly became masters of the JPW. They established the rules of the game. Then Todd noticed a poster on the wall. “It says there is a wall ball tournament at the 3DV.” Lars replied, “Awesome! It’s two weeks away, lets enter.“ They continued playing games using all three balls. The owner’s skills were noticeably increased when their ball was being used. The only strange thing was Dark Matter seemed to favor Todd much more than Jared or Lars. It did however bring out the aggression in all of them. Their most exciting and fast paced games were played using Dark Matter. One thing is for sure, on that fateful day three legends were born.
In the days that followed wall ball consumed the lives of the Triforce, it was all they talked about, and for the first time they got a sense of what happiness was. One day in Mr. Hodin’s science class everyone was working silently. However while their classmates were busy at work, the Triforce was busy discussing power shots and the Krakauer special. Then out of nowhere, SLAP! Mr. Hodin’s yard stick came smashing down on their table. “Detention! All three of you, now get out!” They all jumped up to leave but Mr. Hodin grabbed Todd’s shoulder and held him back. He got close and whispered with a smile, “If you weren’t so disobedient perhaps your parents would still be alive.” Todd’s face became contorted with rage and he shed a single tear. Later that day Todd decided to have a practice session alone with Dark Matter at the JPW. As he began to play his anger consumed him. He was hitting his most powerful serves ever but becoming more dark with each one. “I’m going to win the tournament by myself, I don’t need the Triforce.” His anger was becoming too much to handle. Dark Matter began to glow. “I am more powerful than both of them!” He could no longer control Dark Matter and this only made him more angry. Dark Matter, now glowing bright purple, was inside Todd’s head and it was more than he could take. With a final burst of raw energy, Todd hurled Dark Matter up into the stadium. It bounced, then rolled until it came to a stop. It’s bright glow slowly faded. The bond was broken. Todd fell to the ground with his head in his hands. “I quit, I don’t care anymore.”
When Jared and Lars found out they were shocked and heartbroken. Without the unity of the Triforce Water and Earth had no power to give them and they returned to their usual unlucky selves. One day right after school they were walking out of class. Lars was holding a paper. “Wow another ‘F’. Ever since Todd quit I can’t seem to do anything right. Jared replied, “Same here. My life completely sucks.” He noticed his girlfriend Kelly walking towards them. “I’ll see you at the JPW. We have to practice if we are going to do the tournament without Todd.” Lars replied, “Ok I’ll go get started.” When Kelly reached Jared she kicked him in the shin and yelled, “Do you know what you did you dumbass?!” Jared yelled back, “What? Why are you mad? You’re the only good thing I have left in my life.” She waved some test result papers in his face. “You see this? I’m Pregnant! You can say goodbye to happiness for the rest of your life!” and with that she ran away crying. Jared stood there for a moment with an empty expression on his face, then he walked silently to the JPW. When he arrived Lars spoke, “We have to do something. The tournament is two days away and I can’t even hit the ball right.” Jared still looked dazed. “Huh? Well yeah but what could we do?” Lars hit another weak serve that bounced below the in-bounds line. As he chased after Earth the solution came to him. “I’ve got it! It’s so crazy that it just may work. Let’s ask Mr. Hodin for help.” Jared replied, “Are you crazy? He is literally the meanest person on the planet.” Lars tried another serve. “Exactly. Maybe he has gone through the same thing as Todd. Plus I heard once that he used to play wall ball, something about breakfast or cereal or something. He is our only hope.” Jared shrugged. “Well we have to do something.”
They opened the door to Mr. Hodin’s classroom and walked in. They were met with his nasty voice, “What do you creepers want?” Jared said nervously, “We’ve come to you for help.” Lars added, “It’s our friend Todd. He is in the middle of dark times and he needs guidance.” No one had ever come to Mr. Hodin for help before. The spell of hatred was broken. Mr. Hodin looked at them surprised. He removed his glasses and he looked like a completely different person. No longer was his face strained with anger, instead he had an expression of earnest concern. “Where is he? Lets go.” They searched all over for him and finally found him sitting in the stadium. As they approached, Todd, without looking up asked, “What are you guys doing here?” Mr. Hodin replied, “We came to help you.” Todd hadn’t noticed that his formerly evil teacher was with them and became more angry. “What are you doing here? How are you supposed to help me?” Mr. Hodin sat down next to Todd. “Listen Todd, I know I haven’t been a very good person to you but now I feel like it’s my responsibility to set you on the right track. When I played professional wall ball I was very talented but also very competitive. My competitive nature was so strong that I allowed myself to become filled with hatred and evil. I was weak and did nothing to try to control my anger. Eventually it became too much and I lost everything. I’ve wasted many years of my life trapped by my own hatred. But today your two friends reminded me of the good in life, of love and compassion. You must be strong, don’t follow the same path I did. You can win, but you will need your friends to help you.” Then Lars said, “Yeah Todd we need you, Without you the Triforce Is incomplete.” Jared added, “In time you can learn to control Dark Matter.” Todd finally spoke, “Thank you Mr. Hodin. I think you guys are right. I suddenly feel like all the struggles I’ve faced in my life have prepared me for this final challenge. There’s just one problem, I’ve lost Dark Matter.” Hodin stood up. “We’ll help you find it.” The four of them searched around the stadium and finally Todd found Dark Matter. He picked it up and with a devilish grin said, “Ok, lets do this.”
The big day had finally arrived, The wall ball tournament. The reunited Triforce arrived at the 3DV and began warming up. Their powers had returned and they looked as strong as ever. There were many other players warming up and even more spectators. After a few minutes the official line judge called all the competitors to gather around him. “Welcome everyone. First I must select the ball to be used for the game. All competitors place your personal ball on the ground in a circle.” There were ten competitors so ten balls formed the circle, all of different colors. “I will now select the ball to be used at random.” He reached down and picked up Dark Matter. He held it up high, “The game will be played with this ball!” Todd’s eyes grew huge and he whispered loudly to Jared and Lars, “I can’t play, it still has control of me.” Lars whispered back, “Yes you can, you must believe.” The line Judge then explained the rules. “Each player is allowed three outs.” He showed everyone the serving line, the in-bounds line, and all the other special features of the 3DV. “Good luck everyone. Lets begin.” The line was formed. Todd served first because it was his ball. Jared and Lars were near the middle of the line. Todd managed to serve in-bounds but there was no confidence in his swing. Lars was the first to get a point from a shot off a basketball hoop. On his next time around Todd’s return bounced just before the wall. Jared then got a point off a 3-D shot. Todd got his second point in only his third time around and was now facing elimination. Jared and Lars still had one point each. On his next time around Todd had the serve. He knew he was fighting for his life and this seemed to help him settle down. He unleashed a powerful serve that aced the player behind him. He had something to say about that, “They call me Bag. I’m the best there is.” Todd replied, “Then I guess you’ve never heard of the Triforce.” Players were beginning to be eliminated, only eight remained. Lars gave a powerful serve that aced and eliminated the player behind him. Jared was now behind Lars in line. “Lets team up and see how many of these guys we can get rid of.” Todd was almost eliminated when his return was deemed a “pocket shot” by the line judge. Jared and Lars’ alliance was working and they eliminated three more players. Now only the Triforce and Bag remained. The order was Todd, with two points, bag, with one point, Lars, with one point, and Jared, with two points. Lars turned back to Jared. “The only way to play is every man for himself now.” Jared replied, “I would expect nothing less than your best.” Todd served. Bag bobbled the tough return to get his second point. He wasn’t too happy about it and told Todd, “Schling me once, shame on you. Schling me twice, shame on me.” Jared survived Lars’ serve, Todd returned Jared’s hit, and Bag placed the ball perfectly where Lars couldn’t get it. Now everyone was facing elimination. Todd just barely survived Jared’s powerful serve. They rallied until Jared was finally eliminated on a 3-D shot. Todd had the serve. He was very nervous and he could feel Dark Matter taking control of him once again. His serve was weak and allowed Bag to eliminate Lars easily. Now only the two remained. They rallied for what seemed like hours. Todd was battling both his competition and his inner demons. Bag sent a shot way up in the air. Todd got into position to return it. As he was waiting for it to come down a voice entered his head, It was Mr. Hodin. “Let go of your hate.” Todd regained focus just as Dark Matter was upon him. He swung with all his might and made solid contact. SMACK! With a flash Dark Matter hit the wall just above the ground, where Bag had no chance of returning it. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and they immediately surrounded Todd. Jared and Lars lifted him up on their shoulders and paraded him around through the crowd. It was pandemonium. Kelly pushed her way through the crowd and yelled to Jared, “I got an abortion!” Jared pumped his fist and yelled, “YESSS!” The celebration lasted long into the night. On that fateful day Three boys became men, and one of them, after finding the power within himself, returned balance to the Triforce, and the universe.