Young Jacob takes ashes from Hurley, leads him to older Jacob + Sawyer copes with death

As the group makes their way towards the well to find Desmond, Sawyer asks Jack why Locke wouldn't kill Desmond himself if he wanted him dead. Jack says that it may be one of the rules. That leads Sawyer return to what Jack said on the submarine about Locke not being able to kill them and then asks if he kill "them," meaning Sun, Jin and Sayid. Jack says that he has been wrong before, in an attempt to console Sawyer and then says that Locke was the one who killed them.

Hurley and Kate are lagging behind a bit, when Hurley suddenly stops as he sees young Jacob standing near-by. Kate continues on and then young Jacob appears right behind Hurley and demands the ashes that he took from Ilana's things. When Hurley asks why, Jacob says that they are his.

Jacob snatches the ashes and runs away. Hurley follows for a short distance, before he comes across the Jacob in his older form, sitting next to a fire. Hurley asks Jacob where he's been and Jacob says that it doesn't matter. Hurley then asks if he saw a kid run by with his ashes. Jacob says that the ashes are in the fire and once it goes out, he will never be seen again. He then tells Hurley to get his friends because "We’re very close to the end."

It's interesting that Jacob seems to be able to appear as himself at different ages since he is dead and that he will cease to be after his remains are gone. This might explain why Ilana knew to take the ashes. They were not for protection, but to keep Jacob alive long enough for a candidate to step forward.