*Violet's POV*

I could feel the smooth wood of the master's chair underneath my thighs as I watched him close the door behind August and I. The sensation was strange as that part of my legs had never gone uncovered, but I refused to let myself be distracted by it as the master took his seat across from us.

I had much more pressing matters to think about, like how I was going to lie to Takashi, the man who had taught me how to deceive people in the first place. The man who had offered me a place at his side, and was still waiting for my answer once I finished the mission that he thought was going swimmingly. Despite everything, I felt a little pang in my heart when I realized that we were technically enemies now.

"As August told you before," the master started, "Takashi first contacted him a few days ago, and he was lucky enough to come up with a quick lie."

"That Natsu was dead." August confirmed.

The words sent a silver up my spine along with the reminder of how close that was to having been a reality. "I remember." I said simply.

"Well thought it was a smart move in the heat of the moment," the master said, "it may yet lead to more problems. As I'm sure you already know Natsu is not one to stay quiet. We have to come up with something else."

I felt August's heart sink, and then my own as if in sympathy.

"Sorry about that." August said, "I didn't think things through last time he called."

"It was a precarious situation," the master said, flicking away August's potentially fatal error with a wave of his hand. "And one that saved us from suspicion. But now it needs to be amended."

"So what's the new plan?" I asked.

Both looked at me, surprised for a moment before settling back into things. August knew I wasn't one to talk much during debriefs and mission meetings back at Justice Valkyrie, but immediately reasoned that this was quite different.

The master's reaction, though the same on the surface, was a little stranger. He was not only surprised that I would speak, but a little worried, and not just at the prospect of my question. As August, he took my comment in his stride, but the matter hadn't resolved itself in his mind, but simply been tucked away for later use.

"Well that was what I called you here to discuss." he said, "you both know Takashi better than I, Violet especially." I did my best not to shrink away when he looked my direction, "We have to come up with a reason that Natsu is alive that's convincing."

August nodded, accepting the challenge that was before him. I stared at the masters desk, watching the wood grains begin to dance as my eyes watered. I didn't like the idea of deceiving Takashi, who other than August had been my only friend, my tutor. And if things had gone the way they were supposed to...maybe he could have become something more. But to wish for Takashi now was to wish for a world where Natsu was dead. I shivered at the thought.

But I found myself realizing for the first time that by distancing myself from Justice Valkyrie, I was always going to lose whatever relationship I had with Takashi. As well as whatever relationship we might have grown to have. Was it wrong to mourn the loss of it? When it only could have come out my much more mourning from strangers.

No. Not strangers. Even when I had first met them Fairy Tail had not been a set of strangers to me.

I let out a little sigh. Was there no way I could win?

"What do you think Vi?"

I looked up at August, rewinding the last minute or so in my head, no one had spoken I was sure of it. But of course August and I didn't need words to communicate, he had expected me to be reading him all this time. I did a quick read now, but all I could feel now was concern that I hadn't answered quickly enough. I cursed myself for not paying attention to his process.

"I don't know." I said, honestly, not wanting to make us look like idiots in front of the master.

"Do you have a plan?" the masker asked, and I sensed a slight annoyance that he was the only one out of the loop, even though it wasn't true.

"Kind of," August said. "There's nothing we can do about the fact that he thinks Natsu is dead. I did my job a little too well, and if I get caught up in that lie, it's not going to be good."

"So we have to tell him that everyone thought Natsu was dead but then came back." I said, using my reading now to make it seem like I had known all along.

"It does look bad on you thought Vi," August said, "for not making sure of it."

"I'll come up with something." I said. I knew exactly what I could use. Takashi knew I had been hesitant to kill Natsu, and that compounded with my injuries...it would only make sense that I would be a little incoherent at the end of the battle. My brain was already formulating a story.

"So it's as simple as that?" the master said, thought I sensed it was just a prompt to hear the rest of the plan. I wondered how he, with no magic to help him know there would be more, seemed to read us so easily.

"We'll have to be careful." August said, "Takashi contacted us, which means he has instructions for moving forward. But those instructions will be based on the idea that Natsu is dead. When we tell him that he's alive, things might get hairy."

"He likes being in control of things," I recalled, "He won't be happy when he finds out we were wrong. We have to be careful how we tell him." Normally I would have been able to read him the whole time, make sure that we were on the right track, switch tactics if I could sense that things weren't working. But I could do nothing of the sort this time. There was no way for my magic to stretch the distance to the current compound, even though the lacrima would be pulling us together.

I would be in the dark on this one.

"What do you think the plan moving forward would have been?" the master asked. I sensed he too was trying to think of the perfect way to bring Natsu up. It felt strange to feel his brain working alongside August's. Proof that we really were on the same side now. Or at least we appeared to be.

"Well he asked to see Vi." August said, "he might have more for you specifically."

I didn't like what his tone was implying. "Or he just needs me for debrief on what really happened with Natsu." I said, "it's probably just because I'm the one that did it."

August disagreed but didn't pursue it. The master's eyes flicker back and forth between us. He was hovering on the brink of understanding, but not allowing himself to make any assumptions. Did he enjoy walking a razor's edge?

"Whatever it is he wants," I said, "I wouldn't be able to read him, so there's no way to know if he's buying what we're feeding him."

"If he catches us in a lie he'll call us out on it though," August said, "so we'll know then."

"But then it will be too late." I pointed out. If Takashi thought we were lying, then it was all over, there would be Valkyries on Fairy Tail's door step by nightfall.

"You'll just have to do your best with the situation." the master said, "Remember the only goal is to buy more time for us to figure out what to do next. Failure is not the end."

I felt August's heart melt a little bit, wanting to believe, and then truly believing what the master was saying. I was not so trusting. The master didn't understand what it would be like if Justice Valkyrie managed to make it to Fairy Tail. I knew the Fairies' track record. I didn't doubt that if war was the only option they would come out the other side, possibly even unscathed.

But August and I would not be so lucky. We had to convince Takashi that we were still on his side.

August took a deep breath, then looked to me, a question of will. I nodded. "We're ready," he said.

The master nodded and brought forth the envelope containing the lacrima out of a drawer and set it on the desk in front of us. "If he asks, you're both in your apartment," the master said, "I'll be here, but you cannot acknowledge me. I have asked Mira not to allow anyone to disturb us. Good luck."

We nodded, and August reached forward to open the envelope and start the call. There was no going back now. I took several deep breaths and reminded myself of how I was meant to act. I liked Takashi. He was my friend. My future partner. He trusted me. And I him. And now all I had to do was lie.

But as August stopped back from the now exposed communication device, I sensed something that I hadn't been expecting, a presence on the other side of the guild master's door. If they attempted to enter the results would be disastrous, but I soon realized that they weren't planning on making themselves known. But even so, as I saw the lacrama start to dial back to its only connection, I knew that right outside the door was a fairy spy.