*Violet's POV*
The walk back to the apartment from the guild hall was better than I could have imagined. It was the first time since leaving with Natsu almost a week before, I had been allowed to go unsupervised.
Of course I still had the lacrama bracelet to track me, and I had a sneaking suspicion that it would still prevent me from leaving Magnolia. Not that I wanted too. Now that August and I had had the chance to sit down and talk, to be honest with each other, the plan had changed.
We had come to a Fairy Tail to destroy it. When that failed we attempted to fly under the radar long enough to escape what we took as their wrath. but now things were different. We knew what we wanted. We wanted to stay.
Neither me nor August said much as we neared our apartment. Both us were introverts at heart, and as we walked back to our little shell of a home, it was more than enough just to know that he was at my side.
August and I had already discussed setting aside some of the money from Topaz for rent the next month, with that on top of everything that was left from Justice Valkyrie, we had enough to live on for a while, even when taking into account my plan to splurge on new clothes.
When I had told August about my idea, at first he had been reluctant. Years of Justice Valkyrie conditioning and fear had told him that it was a bad idea, not to mention the prospect of bearing my scars out in the open. But he had agreed that it could be good for me, and encouraged me to go shopping the next day.
But for now, we both needed sleep. It had been a long time since I'd slept through the night, and I hoped that the combination of my tiredness, and knowing that August would be in the next room over would mean the end for my nightmares, at least for now.
August unlocked the door to the apartment and we both slipped inside. I took a deep breath, looking at the place for the first time in almost a week. It appeared that August had made some attempt to tidy up since last time I'd been there, though I knew that if asked he would deny it. I mumbled a good night to August and then receded to my bedroom, changing quickly and falling into bed just as sleep rose up to claim me.
*August's POV*
I woke slowly, the yellow light from my cracked bedroom door inching across the carpet to my bed. Outside I could hear Violet rustling around the kitchen, moving back and forth slowly and precisely.
I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. A minute later I had dressed and was heading for the bathroom across the way. When I exited the room I could just see Violet sitting down at our tiny kitchen table.
"Morning," I called.
She turned slowly, already fully dressed and ready to go.
"Were you going to go shopping today?" I asked.
"I was hoping to." she said, "I'll have to stop by the guild first and make sure the master's okay with it."
"It's okay," I said, "if you wanna head out now I can tell him when I get there."
"You sure it's okay to go off on my own without permission?" she asked dubiously.
"I don't really care what he thinks." I said coldly.
If anything this only seemed to give Violet more doubts.
"He let me go off on my own," I said, "I'm sure it will be fine."
She still seemed unsure, but I knew that she would prefer to avoid the master at all costs.
"Yeah okay."
"I'm gonna hop in the shower." I said, "I'll head over to the guild a little later, you go out, and I'll meet you there?"
"Sounds good to me," Violet nodded, "see you soon."
I nodded, lingering for a moment later before turning towards the bathroom. As I undressed I heard the front door open and close, and knew that Violet had left.
This would be good for her. I had to convince myself of it. Even if she wasn't going about things in the way I expected, I knew that in her own way, Violet was making an effort to come out of her shell around the fairies.
If we really were planning to stay with them now, then she would have to get comfortable with the idea. I wanted her to feel safe at Fairy Tail, despite it being something that even I had yet to achieve.
I knew that they won't attack me, and that I was unlikely to attack them, but that was about as far as my trust extended. And I knew Violet's hadn't even made it that far yet. Not that I really blamed her for it. If it had been me in those woods...if it had been my pride that Natsu had wiped the floor with…
No. it wasn't worth wondering about. Things were the way they were. If I wanted things to change I had to focus on the present. I had seen Violet's interactions with the other guild members before and after our discovery. I could see the difference. She had been wary of them before but, at least she had been capable of holding some sort of conversation. Now even that seemed to nearly incapacitate her. It wasn't fair. Her magic, her shyness, her understandable mistrust. I had seen in her the anguish of trying to interact with Fairy tail, something that she wanted, something that wanted her and yet...she was terrified of the very idea of it.
I didn't know how to fix it.
You could ask someone.
I blinked. It was the first time the thought had occurred to me. I had never had anyone who I could ask for help. Not with something like this. But who to ask now? I was closest with Gajeel, but he didn't seem like the type that would have the solutions to something like this. I needed someone wiser, someone I could be completely open with.
The answer was clear. The master. But to bring my issues with Violet to one of the people she feared most. Was that not some kind of betrayal of trust? But I needed to know how to help her.
I bit my lip. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her. I made my decision. If the master could help me come up with a way to ease her anxiety, then it was worth it.
I finished my shower quickly and dressed before leaving the apartment. The sooner I got to the guild hall the sooner I could ask him. The sooner I could get it off my conscience.
When I neared the building I walked faster, determined not to lose my nerve. To ask the Master for help was a sign of weakness that I hadn't shown before. To ask on Violet's behalf, I felt like I was exposing both of us. But if anyone could help me understand what it took to be comfortable around Fairy Tail it would be him. I had to try.
When I entered the guild hall, the master was sitting at the bar, just where I expected him to be, I took a deep breath, heading straight for him. He looked up when he saw me, his interest only slightly hidden behind half lidded eyes.
"Where is Violet?" was the first thing he said.
In all of my eagerness to ask his help I had forgotten that by letting her go off alone might have already turned him against me. Rather than answer I took it as an opportunity.
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about her."
My request combined with Violet's absence seemed to be enough to win the old man's urgency.
"Of course," he said, "Come to my office."
I took a deep breath as I walked him behind the bar, no backing out now.
The master settled into his chair and gestured to the one access form him. The office had changed slightly since I'd seen it last, the mattress that I had slept on only a few nights ago had been removed, the rest of the furnishings returned to their original poisons. Returned to normal.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
For a moment I felt a pang of guilt for leading him to believe something was immediately wrong. I took a deep breath. "Violet wanted to go shopping." I said, "I told her to meet me back here."
He took a drastic shift of tone in stride. "You let her go alone?" the master asked.
I nodded, refusing to be intimidated.
"Do you think that was a safe idea?"
Coming from anyone else the questions might have been patronizing, or even a threat. But not from master Makarov. he was genuinely asking for my input.
"I don't know." I admitted .
The master learned forward, focusing in on me, and the conversation started in earnest.
"I'm worried about her is all," I said, "and…" the words fell away from me. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. "I told her that I wanted to stay here yesterday, that I didn't want to run. And she just rolled with it, as if it was normal."
"Do you think she could be lying?" the master asked casually.
"No." I was sure of that much at least. "No nothing like that just...she accepted it too easily. I don't think she really understands what it means to betray Justice Valkyrie like this. I don't think she's even thought about it."
"But she wanted to stay here at Fairy Tail."
"That's what she told me." I said, "but if...when the fighting starts...what if she…" even though it had been my greatest fear, I can't bring myself to voice it.
"What if she turns on us." the master said, "you think there's a chance she would return to them."
My mouth was dry. I nodded, suddenly speaking the things that I had been too afraid to even think about. "I don't know what to do.'' It was the first time in my life that those words had ever left my mouth, and I could tell that the master didn't take them lightly.
"Well, I wasn't going to inform you of it," the master said, "but that has also been on my mind."
I stared at him, unable to form my own words and comprehend his at the same time.
He continued despite my lack of response. "I believe the best solution is to help Violet strengthen her relationships with the other members of the guild. The more people she builds friendships with, the stronger ties she will have to Fairy Tail."
"That's why you sent Natsu with her on the job," I said, realizing it for the first time, "you want them to make up."
"That's the plan." the master sighed, "thought I understand that it is easier said than done."
"No I-I'm glad you're helping."
The fact that the master had noticed Violet's reluctance meant that I wasn't just making things up. And the fact that he had already made moves to strengthen Violet's commitment to the guild meant that I wasn't alone in trying to get her to replant herself in Fairy tail.
It was real. I was about to tell him as much when there was a light knock on the door.
"Come in," the master called.
The door opened slowly to reveal Mira Jane.
"What is it?" the masker asked.
"There's a letter for August." she said simply, stepping inside and setting an envelope on the desk before turning to leave. The master called out a "thank you." as she left, but my attention was on the envelope. Inside I could see the outline of a communication lacrima. The thought of seeing Takashi again made my stomach turn.
The master picked up the envelope carefully, as though he was handling something explosive. "There's a note." he said calmly.
He handed it to me and I read aloud. "We need to talk. Make sure Vi is there to. Takashi."
My stomach twisted again. "Do you think he knows?"
"It's possible." the master said.
"What do we do?"
"We tell him the truth."
I stared.
"Well, some of it anyway."
