*Lucy's POV*

As the Fairies followed their escort through the narrow halls of the Magnolia Academy, Lucy found herself in the lead, perhaps because she had the most tolerance for the woman ahead of them. August and Violet followed, with Natsu and happy talking up the rear.

Please don't let them do anything stupid. She prayed.

As they passed through the halls, Lucy couldn't help but let her eyes fall on the hundreds of drawings and assignments that had been hung on the walls. Simply rendered crayon depictions of people, animals and places. She supposed that answered the question of how old the kids were, not that she'd really needed an answer anyway. It was a no brainer that she couldn't summon certain spirits. It didn't matter how old the kids were, it was better to keep some things to herself. She wasn't sure if Taurus would even be able to fit in the building without his head touching the ceiling. As she walked over she'd been contemplating who would be the best option. Why were so many of her spirits such pervs?

In the end she had settled on Loki, since he would probably be the best at taking direction. As long as he kept the flirting to a minimum. He seemed to be looking like a better option by the moment, after all, he was the most human looking of the bunch, and Lucy didn't need a mind reader to know that the woman ahead of her didn't seem to be a big fan of magic.

It was strange for sure, but not unheard of. Whenever there was anything outside to the norm, some people were bound to be unhappy about it. If she wasn't on a job, Lucy would have had half a mind to call her out for it, but as things were, she knew it would be a bad idea. She couldn't act like that on a job, not if it would reflect badly on Fairy Tail. and put the chance of payment in danger. And besides, Violet and August were still pretty new to this. They had to set a good president.

She only hoped Natsu shared the same sentiments.

After what seemed like miles of drawing draped halls, the woman came to a stop and knocked on a classroom door. Over her shoulder, Lucy would see clumps of little desks, with children that seemed to be about eight or nine peering over to see what was going on. Another teacher appeared and greeted their escort, then nodded and opened the door wider. They walked in.

As she passed through the door, Lucy felt a presence behind her, and turned to see Violet getting closer to her, a look of concentration on her face.

"You'll be fine." she whispered.

Violet's eyes flicked up to her, and then back to the floor, but she nodded, the line of her shoulders relaxing. They passed through the doorway and into the back of the classroom. Students turned in their seats to watch them as they stood in a neat little line in the back of the room.

"Class, these are the Fairy Tail wizards that I told you about, '' the teacher said, returning to the black board at the front of the room. "We're still finishing up our lesson," she called back, "if you guys wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes-"

"It's no problem," Natsu called, "take your time."

The teacher hesitateD, then smiled, turning back to her board. Lucy leaned forward, trying to catch Natsu's eye. Since when was he so polite? She supposed it didn't matter. As far as Lucy would tell the woman from before would be staying to watch them. She would have to come up with a way to not go off on her before they had to leave.

*Violet's POV*

The classroom seemed colder than the hallway but that was the least of my worries. As I had sped up to talk with Lucy, August slowly fell behind. Now I was stuck in the back of the classroom between Lucy and Natsu.

I tried to reach out to August, to see if I could figure out how we have been separated. But he seemed intent on not looking at me. Not thinking about me. Had he done this on purpose? Why?

The kids in front of us twisted in their seats to get a better look. Most of the eyes seemed to be on Natsu and Lucy, who they no doubt recognized from the Grand Magic Games, but the gaze was still too close for comfort.

The woman on the other side of Lucy had her mouth pressed into a tight line, a practiced expression that was likely the cause of her many wrinkles. It was clear from the moment she had walked in the room that she didn't like us. Didn't want us there.

It was far from my first time experiencing such a sharp disdain for magic, though usually it wasn't from someone who was unfamiliar with dealing it on the daily. Back at Justice Valkyrie, wizards had been the scum of the earth, the people that got in the way of our work. The members of legal guilds.

I was young when I was introduced to Takashi's magic program. But not so young that evident hatred when over my head. It was not a popular choice to teach us. But the results had been too good to stop.

Still, I could hear the offhand remarks in the training rooms, the staged attacks outside the barracks. I closed my eyes as though doing so could cut off the memory. Regulate your breathing, focus on something else, anything other than the woman at the end of the row. Before I could think about the consequences, my magic sought out the next most prominent aura in the room.

It was Natsu's of course. He held a heavy heart for the woman at the end, the same thing I felt for her minus the fear, but slowly it began to dissolve; concern and protectiveness, leaking down to melt it away like acid. I realized he was looking at me.

"We're still finishing up our lesson," the teacher at the front of the room said, "if you guys wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes-"

"It's no problem," Natsu called, "take your time."

I felt Lucy's mind flash over to us, then become distracted.

Natsu was concentrating, pushing out a calmness that I hadn't felt in him before. I looked up to find his eyes on me.

He winked.

I looked away.

Had he said that on my behalf? So that I would have time to calm down? How did he know that I was nervous? Had it been that apparent? Whatever the reason. He had done it, and I was grateful.

Before I could think better of it, I concentrated on that emotion. That gratefulness, snapping it up before guilt could taint it. I leaned to my right, and my knuckles grazed Natsu's. He jumped back, not expecting the contact. But the message was clear, and he relaxed, his eyes slipping away from me and flashing around the room, evaluating the students.

I took a deep breath, and then did the same.

They all seemed to eight or nine, around the age I had been when August and I had received our first mission. How different things would have been...if he had never found me. But then...I knew we wouldn't be together.

Some of the students obediently turned back to the board, thought most continued staring at us. I figured it was only natural, that they would want to check us out. I knew that eyes would be on me from now until we returned to the guild hall. I sighed and tried to get used to it.

At the front of the room the teacher continued her lesson. She talked about Magnolia's conception, and then led into history about Fairy Tail, the Fantasia parade, and other events that the guild participated in. Lucy nodded as she talked, trying to see a good example for the kids, putting faith in their teacher by proxy. Natsu leaned back against the wall casually, occasionally whispering to Happy in short whispers, correcting the teacher under his breath.

August mirrored Lucy in concept, but his mind was far away. I tried to look attentive, but found himself thinking of other topics. I knew more information than I would ever need to use about Justice Valkyrie. I had been taught to be proud of my work there. But it wasn't something that was shared. It was information that belonged to us, the chosen few. The world at large didn't even know about our existence at all.

I knew of course that there were parts of Fairy Tail that weren't public knowledge. Things that the citizens of Magnolia would never understand. The way it felt to watch seemingly civilized people devolve into a bar fight. The way the master looked out at the members from his seat at the bar. Mira Jane's cooking. The thrill of leaving on a job.

I didn't know much more about the history of the guild than the students before me, but I knew it beyond what any teacher could explain. How was I meant to convey that to a room full of children?

"But don't take my word for it," the teacher concluded, "as you know, we have some real life Fairy Tail wizards in the room with us right now. Would like to meet them?"

There was a chorus of "yes."

"Then I won't leave you waiting." the teacher smiled, looking back to us, "Take it away."