*Violet's POV*

I dreamed that I was back in those woods. Fire was coming at me from all sides. And no matter what I tried, I couldn't avoid it all. The dark trees were like hateful onlookers, judges sentencing me to death. But thought the fire I noticed someone else watching me.

"Who's there?" I called.

There was no answer, but the shadowy figure took a step forward.

"Show yourself"

The figure moved closer, and as a ball of fire skidded past I saw that it was the commander. The master of Justice Valkyrie. He stared at me and lifted his hand, and all the trees began to circle around me, tighter and tighter until they blocked out the light. Until I couldn't breath.

"Stop!" I pulled away, but there was no escape. I was going to die here.

"Stop!"

I opened my eyes and sat up from my bed in the infirmary. I was covered in sweat.

"Violet?" I glanced to my left. Lucy was standing there, she was afraid.

I stared at her, unsure what to do, then I felt hands on my back. I turned to my right to find Erza trying to guide me back into the bed. I made an attempt to pull away from her, but it was useless.

"None of that." She said, pushing me back into the soft mattress, "You need to heal."

I was aware of the bandages still wrapped around various parts of my body, but the pain was nothing compared to before. The emotional state of the two girls in the room gave me enough to assume that they knew I was a killer, but they didn't see me as a threat. Not at the moment at least.

I needed more information about what was going on.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"A few days." Lucy said.

Days? I felt like sobbing, "Where is August?"

"calm down." Erza said, "Lucy can you go tell the master that she's awake."

Lucy nodded and left the room.

"Where is he?" I asked, feeling panic flare up again.

Erza placed a hand on my arm, reading me. "relax."

I pulled away. I didn't want to be read. I wanted to get out. To find August. I scanned the room, trying to look for something that could help me escape. But I knew there was no way to get away from Erza. I was still trapped. I tried to take long deep breaths, relax like Erza wanted. I had to keep my head.

A few minutes later the door opened and the master stepped in. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Where is August?" I asked.

The master glanced at Erza, exchanging some kind of private conversation. Both were tense.

"Where is he?"

"He is safe." Said the master.

I sighed, thought he had yet to answer my question.

"He has been helping us understand the nature of your past guild."

They where both watching me, trying to understand how I would react, but I couldn't tell what they were expecting. "I want to see him." I said.

"That can be arranged." Said the master, "but first, I would like to be sure that the two of you aren't going to try anything."

"Like what?" I asked curiously.

"Perhaps plan another attack." The master said, "or more likely an escape."

I sighed. That's exactly what I'd been looking to do.

"What do I have to do to prove that?" I asked.

"I don't know yet." The master said, "but in the meantime there is someone who would like to talk to you."

"Who's that?" I asked, genuinely confused. Who would want to talk to me. Other than August, there wasn't anyone here who I hadn't tried to destroy. And the master had already forbid me from seeing him.

The master didn't answer, simply walked out of the room, talking Erza with him. But before the door even closed behind him, someone else entered.

I swallowed my fear. It was Natsu.

*August's POV*

The first night in the guild hall had been rough. The master had attempted to make my cage in his office comfortable, but it was a prison all the same. I tried to take comfort in the fact that Violet was nearby, but I knew she was still too far to reach, even thought she was sleeping peacefully in the next room over.

With Violet down for the count, I knew it was up to me to figure out how we would proceed. Defeating Fairy Tail as planned was out of the question, for the master had no doubt warned all of that targets, and thought I had not yet been made aware that he told the others, rumors travel fast. Killing them now was impossible.

Takashi had threatened to tell the commander that our job had gone south, but he gave himself more credit than he was due. We still had some time before Justice Valkyrie really found out that we'd failed. But what to do with that time?

The way I saw it we had two options. Run or stay. If we ran we could avoid the hate from Fairy Tail, but we would have to get away. It would still be a few days before Violet could hit the road, and I seriously doubted that they would take their eyes of us for long enough to make a plan. And even if we did get away, the dragon slayers could definitely track us down.

That left me with one option. To stay with the Guild, try to earn their trust back, for real this time. I got the feeling that the master wanted to turn us into some kind of charity case, and the better part of the members were quicker to forgive than I thought they should be, so that might be our best option.

Justice Valkyrie would find us, and then it would be an all out war. That was inevitable now. But once the two guilds had destroyed each other, then it would finally be safe for Violet and I to leave them both behind.

I told myself that I could sleep on it. I would have to wait until morning to start moving in either direction anyway.

I was awakened late in the day when the master walked into his office. I could tell he wanted to talk. But I had a request.

"Can I see Violet?"

The master nodded and escorted me to the infirmary. Now that it was late evening, the guild hall was full, like I was used to. But when they saw me, the cheerful chatter was replaced with whispers. I guessed it was something that I would have to get used to.

When I reached in infirmary, everything was about the same as wen I'd left it. This time it was Grey guarding the door. I ignored him and sat in the chair that was still waiting at Violet's bed side.

She was still sleeping peacefully, in the same position as when I last saw her.

"What should I do?" I wanted to ask. "What do you want?"

I knew she'd loved Fairy Tail before...and despite the events of yesterday she had made many friends here. The only friends she'd ever had, excluding myself. I sighed. She would want to stay.

I turned to the master. "We need to talk." I said.

"I imagine we do."

"The first thing that I need to know is whether or not you're going to kick us out." I said.

The master signed. "Usually the rules are fixed," he said, "but these are...special circumstances. I will let you stay."

"Thank you I-"

"But you will do as I say. You are in my debt"

"I know sir."

The master nodded, satisfied. And now I knew that it was possible for us to stay here. Not I had to see if my plan would work. I took a deep breath.

"But our old guild...Justice Valkyrie...when they find out we failed, it's not going to be petty. They will come."

"I expected as much." the master said, "and I hope that since you intend to stay you will be here to help us prevent a war."

"Yes sir."

"Then that's what you shall do."

"I'll make you a report right now." I nodded, walking back to his office. I knew that reports were not something that happened in this guild, but if Violet and were going to survive, I needed to tell them everything. I had been paying soldier my whole life. Nothing had changed no except the master I reported to. I would tell them all I could, make sure that Justice Valkyrie was destroyed, no matter the cost.

Only then could Violet and I be safe.