*August's POV*

I left the master's office feeling more confident than I probably should have. In Hindsight his suggestion that I invite Lucy, Natsu, and Happy on a job with us might not have only been for Violet's sake, but for mine as well. But for the moment I didn't care. If using Violet's welling being as courage was what I needed to get my foot out the door, then I would take it. False courage was still courage.

Lucy wasn't hard to spot. She was sitting with Happy at a table near the bar, scolding him for speaking with his mouth full. As I approached the table I saw what there were three cups set on it. My immediate realization was that the other had been Natsu's. He must have left right away when Violet and I entered the guild hall. Had he really been that eager to talk to her?

I tore my eyes away from the cup to see that Happy and Lucy had stopped talking, and were both looking up at me curiously. Neither one was a target, and they were most closely associated with Natsu, who had been Violet's territory. I had only spoken to them a few times, and even fewer since Violet came back from the woods, but I figured that my connection to Violet would work as a reason for me to approach them.

"Um...hi." I said. I had intended for them to be the first to speak. But I had been the one to approach them, and thus it only made sense that I gave a reason.

After a brief silence, Lucy loosened up. "What's up?" she asked politely.

I noticed Happy look over at her carefully, and then back to me before looking away all together. The last time, the only time we had ever really interacted had been when he'd flown back from the woods alone to tattle on Violet to the master. I couldn't imagine he thought we had a stable friendship.

"I-well…" I forced myself to focus on the problem at hand. Ignore Happy. Ignore everything that wasn't essential. "Vi and I wanted to go on a job." I said, "but the master says we can't go alone so…"

Lucy's social instinct took control, giving me a little time to relax. "Yeah of course!" She said, "Natsu, Happy, and I was planning to look for one latter today anyway."

"I don't mean to intrude." I said, though I already knew that she had made up her mind.

"It's no trouble." Lucy said, "The more the merrier right?"

"Right…"

As far as I was concerned she seemed a little too happy about it. But Violet had told me that Lucy had been kind to her, kinder than she really needed to be, so perhaps it was more for her sake than mine.

"Did you have anything specific in mind?" she asked. "I haven't gotten the chance to look at the board since we got back from Topaz's palace but-"

"The master said he had one set aside for us." I said, "I don't know what is yet."

"Oh." she looked over to Happy, and they both surged, "That's fine too then, I'm sure whatever he picked will be good!"

Did anything deter this girl?

"He should have it ready by now." I said, glancing over at the bar where the master was waiting "I could go over and…"

"We could all go together." Lucy offered, standing from her seat, "though I don't know where Natsu ran off too."

A sinking feeling bled in my chest. Violet and Natsu had been out there for a long time. I knew that the whole point of this was to try and get them to reconnect, but I wasn't sure how much involuntary one on one time Violet could take right now.

"I think I saw him go outside," I said, trying to sound disinterested as I watched Lucy crab walk her way out from between the bench and the table.

"What would he be doing out there?"

"No idea," I shrugged, looking away.

"I'll go see." she said, and then she was gone, unknowingly off to break up a conversion that I didn't really know anything about. I looked away from Happy and told myself I had done the right thing.

*Violet's POV*

Natsu and I followed Lucy into the guild hall, where August and Happy quickly joined us. A quick read of August told me everything I'd missed,, explaining that he was slightly worried about the consequences of our accompanying fairies.

I guess that meant that he hadn't invited them by choice. The talk with the master must not have gone as planned. Though I figured it was just as well. Better go out with a couple faries than not at all. And as long as August and I were together… things wouldn't be too bad.

August briefly explained to Natsu and I that the Master had told him to find someone to accompany us on a job. The others were honored that he would choose them, but I knew that it was a lie. The master had also picked our team. Though why Natsu and the others specifically, I couldn't tell. Nor did I know why August would lie about it, but there was no way to ask for clarification without letting the others know of his deception.

As soon as everyone was on the same page, the group made its way over to where the master was waiting at the bar. I tried to put distance between myself and the fairies, falling into line behind August, but there was only so much I could do with five people in a skinny aisle, and ended up wedged between Lucy and August instead. Still, it was better than being stuck next to Natsu.

"So," the master said as we approached, "You ready for the job?"

This all but confirmed my suspicion that he had been the one to decide who was going with us, but again, I kept my mouth shut.

"I don't see why not." August said, looking down at the rest of us for confirmation.

Natsu Lucy and Happy nodded, and I felt their excitement rize. I looked at the ground. Sure, I had been excited for some Justice Valkyrie jobs before...but it seemed wrong to say that this anticipation was the same...as at its core; this job would be about helping people, and the ones I took before were about killing them.

The master shifted and handed August a job flier. Even from the back I could see the hole where it had once been mounted to the request board. Had he really pulled it aside just for us? What was so special about it?

"You'll have to leave pretty soon if you want to make it," the master said, "but I don't think it will be a problem."

August finished reading over the request and looked up. "We'll take it." he said.

The master nodded as we stepped away, August still with his nose in the flier. I was to first to voice what I knew everyone else was thinking. "What exactly is the job?" I asked.

"Do we need the train?" Natsu asked.

"No train." August said, "it's here in town."

Maybe that was why the master had chosen it for us, so that we would still be within his reach if anything went wrong.

"It's at some school." he said, "They want a demonstration of magic for some of the students. We have to be there this afternoon."

"So that's why he gave it to us...the time limit." Lucy said. Though I could tell that her doubtful feelings for the master's intentions were from a place of love.

"I guess that means we should get moving then." Natsu said.

"Sounds good to me." August said, "it's probably better to be a little early so we can figure out what's going on."

August shoved the request into his back pocket, and our newly arranged team made its way to the door.