A/N: XDD I am alive~ And thank you all for the lovely reviews I keep getting, even though I'm slower than death at uploading here~

I'm thinking there'll only be about three more chapters of this story, so we're getting closer to the end~! But if you really really liked it... I may have a sequel planned... *is shot*

To Want- Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven- Hotter (Day 2- Morning)

"I will never go into one of those Din-cursed places again!" Green swore as he wrenched his left boot off, watching a small stream of dirty water seep out and onto the parched ground below. It was hard to see it actually soak into the ground, though- night was falling fast.

"Stop complaining," Vio gave him an irritated glance, not bothering to pour the water out of his own boots- all the moisture still on his clothing would simply soak them again. They had spent all day in the swamp, trying to find each and every ingredient on Aelo's list, and Vio had fallen in more than once trying to reach a particularly precarious specimen. "We need to get back to the potion shop before it closes or we'll have to wait another day. I'm worried about them…" He said in a softer voice, shifting the bag of gathered herbs and ingredients from one shoulder to another. "Red never liked the dark, and Blue won't be able to protect him if something happens…"

The shadow connected to Vio flickered wildly, waving its arms as Green turned away to pull his boot back on. Vio crouched down- the two had developed a system of hand-gestures for Shadow so he could easily communicate with the others in the day. However, he sometimes improvised on them and made up his own without telling anyone, so when he pointed east and made a kissy-face at Vio he frowned. "Now is not the time for that," he hissed quietly, glancing at Green.

Shadow shook his head, hands on his hips, and pointed east again, then to his own sword, and held up two fingers.

"…. You want to go back to Red and Blue tonight?" Vio whispered, pressing the fingertips of his right hand against the ground. Shadow's came up to meet them, the closest they could get to touching when Shadow wasn't solid- a small, intimate gesture that never really soothed the craving for Shadow that Vio constantly had.

When Shadow nodded eagerly Vio sighed. "It is …. Very kind of you to do that… I'm sure that Red will really appreciate it…" It meant another night without his Shadow by his side, but he had to admit that Red really needed him more at this point in time. Shadow seemed to catch onto his thoughts, however, and looked like he was about to hesitate. "No, go… they need you more than I do." A lie- but one that he pulled off with icy perfection every day. Someday they would find a way to keep Shadow solid in the daytime… but right now his shadow-skipping abilities were useful. Until then Vio would be able to deal with this craving, this incessant need to be with Shadow at every point of the day…

Shadow hesitated a moment longer, pulling off his (ridiculous, in Vio's opinion) hat and busily fussing with it in front of himself- since both were shadow Vio couldn't see what he was doing. He had to clasp a hand over his mouth, though, when Shadow held it up again- twisted and tied into a perfect heart. "Now you're simply being foolish," he whispered, but he loved the gesture, and knew that Shadow knew it too. "Go on- I will see you when you return…"

Shadow held the heart up for a few more moments, waiting until Vio pulled his hand away from his mouth and allowed him to see the sweet, slightly embarrassed smile there, then took his hands away from it- the heart stayed there, a perfect dark twist in the grass. Shadow reached up (or seemed to, anyway) for Vio's hand, making an irritated motion when he hesitated, and pointed to the shadow heart.

"You can't be serious," Vio muttered, but at another irritated flicker he placed his hand on the dark twist- and pulled Shadow's hat limply from the ground.

The message was clear, but Shadow made the handsigns for it anyway- you hold my heart in your hands.

Or maybe it was 'hat' he'd signed- it would be like him, Vio thought inwardly. "Funny. Now go- it's almost full dark, and Red will be anxious soon…"

In response Shadow touched his hand to his face and reached up towards Vio. Vio shot a quick glance at Green- who still had his back to them, shaking water out of his other boot- and pressed two fingers to his lips, laying them to where Shadow's were waiting. A moment longer, then he flitted away, heading east.

"-back to the inn? Vio?" Green's voice finally registered in his ears and he looked over his shoulder. "Did you hear me? Are we going to try to find a room back at the inn?"

"…. We might as well." Vio stood and shifted the bag of ingredients more firmly onto his shoulder. "But first the potion shop."

*...*

Red was awake when Shadow materialized this time, and like he'd predicted for the night before had a rather- larger- than- needed fire blazing to keep away the darkness. He noticed that the package he'd left for Red still lay unopened beside Blue's tousled blond hair and he huffed quietly. "I leave you a present and you don't even open it?" He asked, sounding affronted as he sauntered into the circle of firelight.

To his amusement Red leapt up with a startled cry, sword already in hand and held out defensively. "Whoa, Red, take it easy-" Shadow stepped a little further forward. "It's just me."

"…. Shadow! Thank goodness!" Red darted forward and wrapped his arms tightly around the shadow teen's waist, which made Shadow shift uncomfortably till he was released. "How are Green and Vio? Are they okay? Do they have the medicine yet?"

Shadow shook his head and put his hand on Red's back, pushing him back towards Blue. "They spent all day getting the ingredients. They're hoping that the potion-maker will finish it tonight and they can start back in the morning," he informed him, and Red let out a sigh.

"I hope they hurry," he murmured, glancing worriedly at Blue, who shifted and let out an indistinct mumble. "Blue…. He went to sleep again a few hours ago… he wouldn't let me feed him anything…" Red gently placed the sword down and knelt at Blue's side, reaching out to grab his hand and wind their fingers together. "He drank some water, and I keep wetting down these cloths for him but I think he's getting hotter," Red told Shadow anxiously. "What do I do? "

In response, Shadow picked up the small wrapped package he'd dropped beside Blue's head last night and handed it to Red. "Vio found this in the potion shop yesterday. If you can tear yourself away from Blue long enough to find some of these plants, you can boil them and make teas and things… they might help." He flopped down on the ground casually, eyes fixed on the
flames of the fire.

"Shadow…." Red's voice caught his attention but he didn't turn. "Thank you for coming to stay
with me… I know you'd rather stay with Vio…"

Shadow turned to him quickly. How did he…. "What makes you say that?" he asked, elaborately casual.

"I saw you kissing a few nights ago," Red replied simply. "You always stay with Vio, and he looks at you a lot… like I look at Blue…" He let out a self-conscious giggle, bringing his hands up to cover his blushing face.

Shadow seized on the opportunity to change the subject. "About that- what's up with this, hmm~?" He leaned over to pull the collar of Red's tunic forward and poke at the prominent circlet of tiny bruises.

Red squeaked and blushed harder, shifting backwards. "I-it's….. well… B-blue did it," he whispered, looking slightly abashed. "L-last night…."

"Oh~? I thought Blue hated you…"

"Um…." Red let out another giggle. "Well, he doesn't now…."

Shadow leaned forward again. "Really~?" He asked, mainly to see the smaller teen giggle again and squirm around where he was sitting- which Red did. He sighed at the nod, and leaned back again. "Well, I wish you two luck, then…" His gaze drifted back to the fire, thinking of Vio. He was always thinking of Vio….

He could hear Red scuffling around behind his back again, and a low hoarse whisper that was probably Blue asking for water again, but he didn't turn around. Not when he heard Blue's awful coughing. Not when he heard Red's small noise of exertion, and then their footsteps padding over to the bushes. Not even when he heard Red's small whispered 'goodnight' to Blue, and then the soft susurration of a pair of lips brushing against a cheek. He couldn't bring himself to mock the two for what they were beginning to have together, because it was everything he wanted for himself …. And Vio.

After a while- he didn't know quite how long- he became aware of Red sitting beside him, leaning his head against the black tunic that easily blended in with the night. "Go to sleep," he said brusquely, but not in a mean way. "I'll stay up and keep watch."

The blond head on his thigh (he wished it was another) shook back and forth. "Shadow's lonely…" the small and innocent voice whispered. "I'll keep you company…."

"…" Shadow sighed. "It's okay, Red… go to sleep."

Red's breath began to even out.

"Not on me!"

*...

The potion shop had been closed and locked the night before, to Vio's displeasure, and he and
Green had spent a night they didn't really enjoy at the local inn. They left as soon as they could in the morning, and were greeted outside by a mob of people, chattering and talking over one another.

"Oh, for the love of-" Vio growled- Green looked at him askance; Vio wasn't a growly type of person- and began pushing his way through the crowd. "Excuse me," he muttered to anyone who yelped or gave him a nasty look. Green could do nothing but trail along behind him, finally reaching out to latch onto the back of his tunic so he didn't get lost.

Both Links got a sinking feeling in the pits of their stomachs when they realized the crowd was gathered around the door of the potion shop. From what they'd seen of the town and people yesterday it would take something substantial to rile all these people up…

"Hey!" A young woman exclaimed as she was roughly jostled aside but Vio didn't even look back, fighting his way to the front of the crowd and the door. Green, following again, could hear the various crowd noises coalesce into words.

"-mountain traders again-"

"-third time this month-"

"-taken as -"

"- needs to stop them-"

"-why Aelo? The old man never-"

"-should keep your children inside now-"

Vio had finally stopped, and Green peered over his shoulder… at the large black X scrawled across the potion sign above the door, and the large sheet of parchment pinned to the door with a dagger. To Green's consternation he stepped forward and yanked the dagger out, catching the paper as it fell.

"What does it say?" Green asked in a hushed voice, trying to read over his shoulder.

"…. Aelo has been taken hostage due to this town's refusal to pay tribute to the 'Mountain King," Vio recited in a dry, unamused tone. At the name everyone around them gasped and fell silent, drawing back to make a large empty circle around the two.

"….?" Green's brow furrowed. "Who's this Mountain King?"

Absolute silence met his question.

Vio rolled the parchment up and stuck it through his belt, keeping the dagger in his hand as well.
"I will repeat the question. Who is the Mountain King, and why is he demanding tribute from you?" His commanding tone floated across the silent crowd.

Finally someone stepped forward, a man with a piercing stare that he used on them. "The Mountain King appeared a few months ago, threatening to pillage our town and take our women for his own. He sent in his army of monsters to take what we had, and we were unable to stop him. All of our strongest fighters were lost in the battles with the Shadow King…" Every villager there dipped their heads and muttered something, whether it was a prayer for the lost or a ward against evil neither Link could tell. "They say," the man continued, "that the Mountain King is naught but a huge metal shell filled with evil, who sends his minions to do his evil bidding, and he resides there." He pointed to the mountain that loomed behind the town, ominous and threatening. "He has taken hostages before, but we have nothing left to give…."

Vio nodded, with a look in his eye that Green winced at- it meant that the violet hero was on to something and it wouldn't end well for the other party involved. "We will return your people to you. Green, let's go." He turned and began walking through the crowd, which parted before him like water.

"Vio!" Green yelped, running after him to tug on his sleeve. "Are you serious?"

"They have Aelo, Green," Vio said expressionlessly without turning around. "We need him to make the potion, and we most definitely cannot rescue one person and leave the rest."

"….." Green sighed and shifted his belt, feeling the familiar weight of his Four Sword resettle more comfortably on his hip. "Alright…. I just hope you know what you're doing…."

"I always know what I am doing," Vio said in that self-assured tone, and for a moment Green could almost believe him.