A Violet's Solace

Art by Anth

**Minor:** Mothest, Pinerrel, Daisymunk

**A Violet's Solace** is a fanfiction written by Anthraviolets that was posted on both FFN, AO3, Wattpad, and Quotev. It's a hurt/comfort and romance shipfic involving the characters Daffodil and Violet from Wings of Fire. It was posted on June 14th, and was completed on August 17th.

## Summary

"*Violet had been relatively quiet since the aftermath of the Dragonslayer's tales being exposed to Valor once and for all - of course, her behaviour of late was more connected to Ivy's leave if anything. Daffodil, concerned for her, tries to comfort Violet, wanting her friend to cheer up. Of course, it ends up giving them both something more than what they bargained for.*

*Takes place a few days after the events of Dragonslayer.*"

## Chapters

Chapter 1 -

Violet

As Violet's finger tip slid across the pages of her book, she let out a sigh as her eyes darted across each page. It had been awhile since the Dragonslayer was overthrown from his position as lord of Valor, and when Commander Brook had agreed to take his place. Things seemed to be relatively better for Valor since, though it was clear as day that everyone still needed to get used to the changes. For Violet? She still had to get used to not seeing Ivy around anymore.

It was odd. They had been friends for years now, and then she decided to chase after a dream that hardly seemed possible, in Violet's opinion. Dragons and humans living in peace? Somehow, Violet found herself doubting that, despite everything. Even though Violet knew that Ivy had her reasons, and that it was to be expected, all circumstances of the recent events considered - Violet couldn't help but feel a touch bitter over it. She didn't even say goodbye to her or Daffodil, if her memory served her correctly. Why? Weren't they supposed to stick together?

But Violet didn't bother mentioning it. She found it easiest to keep her thoughts on the ordeal private. After all, she still had her Wingwatcher duties to tend to, and she'd rather not dwell on the conflicting emotions that churned inside of her - it was best not to focus on those. Even though she was one to make her feelings towards various subjects known -which had been well known within Valor at that point- Violet didn't feel particularly compelled to say much about it. Perhaps she simply didn't want to say much about the situation, either. After all, it didn't help that she had just been released from being taken prisoner, didn't it?

Violet knew it wasn't like her to act like that. All reserved and keeping her emotions bottled up. But it certainly felt easier to simply keep to herself after one of her best friends decides to leave Valor for presumably ever. It seemed less painful than actually discussing it, and she still had her work as Wingwatcher. Though of course, it wasn't like she was entirely thrilled while doing them anymore. While she still stuck with Daffodil when she could, Violet knew that she had really only joined for one other thing, aside from figuring out if the Wingwatchers had been plotting a revolution, it was because she was excited to do it with Ivy and Daffodil. It was kind of hard to do that when they were separated, now wasn't it?

Still, she tried to pay it no mind, and she hoped nobody would badger her about her behaviour, either. She was fine. Absolutely fine.

Pushing away the sore thoughts, Violet glossed over another paragraph of the book - only to groan softly, placing her bookmark in between the book's pages. Setting her book down on her lap, Violet rubbed her forehead. Reading wasn't going to help much - not when she was already so distracted. Usually reading and writing was Violet's escape from stress and on occasion, her arguments with Daffodil. It didn't seem like it was going to help her much this time around. Resting her head on her pillow, she reclined on her hammock - maybe a nap would help. Maybe then she wouldn't consciously choose to let her mind wander back in that direction...

Before Violet could slip into a state of slumber, the sound of footsteps caught her attention. Raising an eyebrow, Violet glanced in the direction of the room's exit - she knew her dads were out today, like usual. It didn't take her long to decipher who it was. Daffodil walked into her cave room, though Violet could tell that Daffodil wasn't exactly at her most boisterous - if not for the glint of concern in her eyes. Sitting up in her hammock, Violet had the gut feeling that she knew where it was headed. Though she hoped that she was wrong.

Daffodil sat next to Violet, giving her a meek smile. "Hey."

"Hi." Violet shrugged. "What brings you over?"

Grimacing, Daffodil sighed. "Violet, I've been worried about you since...you know. Are you alright?"

Violet knew that she should've seen this coming. If it wasn't going to be either of her dads, then it was going to be Daffodil who would ask her about it first. After all, despite their fights, Daffodil was still one of Violet's best friends since they were in school - it was to be expected that she could tell that something was up. But what was she supposed to say? She didn't want to admit that she had been upset - she was perfectly fine. Right?

"I'm perfectly fine." This prompted Daffodil to roll her eyes in response, causing Violet to turn away from her, huffing. "I *said* I'm perfectly fine!"

Daffodil narrowed her eyes, scoffing. "Yes, because being more moody than you usually are and acting all distant from everyone instead of annoying me is normal!"

Her cheeks flushed, Violet shot back an uptight retort. "I am acting completely normal and it's *none of your business*."

"You-" Daffodil stopped herself, forcing herself to catch her breath. "This is getting us nowhere. Violet, I'm being serious. Ever since Ivy left, you've been so...visibly upset. As your best friend, I believe it is absolutely my business." Taking a brief pause, she looked Violet directly in the eyes, sighing. "Please, just tell me what's wrong. I really want to know if you're alright."

Violet wasn't sure what she hated the most; that Daffodil was actually right, or that she was going to end up having to share something about the whole deal. One part of Violet just wanted to scream that she wanted to be left alone, and that she would rather not talk about Ivy - even if there was some chance it would make her feel better. Then there was the other side - the other side that just wanted to cry and let it all out. She resented the tears welling up in her eyes and ignored the urge to let out a few choked up sobs.

Instead she let her shoulders slouch, staring at the ground. Before much else could be said, Violet felt Daffodil drape an arm around her shoulders - though Violet appreciated her attempts to help out, she didn't feel that it made her feel any better. However, Violet managed to hold back most of the tears, though her blouse caught a few drops. Letting go of Violet's shoulders, Daffodil held a glance with her.

Frowning, Violet sighed. "Thank you for your concerns, but I don't want to talk about that right now."

"Violet, don't forget that I'm also your friend and that you're allowed to talk to me about this, right?" She murmured, her palms resting on Violet's hands. "Don't you dare forget that."

Violet tried to muster up the will to give her a reassuring smile, but quickly gave up. "I know, I know. I just don't want to talk about it at the moment, okay?"

Daffodil sighed, though she nodded in understanding. Embracing Violet one last time, she began to leave, waving back at Violet.

"I'll see you when we do our Wingwatcher duties, then."

Once Daffodil had left, Violet curled back up in her hammock, exhaling deeply. She hadn't even given a single thought to any of her Wingwatcher related tasks. Grabbing her book, Violet let out one last sigh. She highly doubted that she would manage through Wingwatcher training tomorrow.

Chapter 2 -

Daffodil

Daffodil shouldn't have been surprised that they were still mostly doing skygazing, but she couldn't help but feel rather annoyed that they hadn't been tasked to do something different. Still, it was something to do and it wasn't like they were required to fight dragons...though Daffodil would've found that more exciting. *Far* more exciting. Underneath her was Violet, who was sitting on her own branch of the tree. She had remained quiet still, which bugged Daffodil *immensely* - by now she and Violet would have been arguing over something...which was a sign that at least Violet wasn't in a completely terrible mood, in Daffodil's mind.

That aside, Daffodil had her suspicions as to what Violet was upset about - namely, Ivy leaving Valor to change the world, according to Lark. Daffodil couldn't blame her if that was in fact the case. They had been best friends with her since grade school, and had became Wingwatchers together. There was no doubt to Daffodil that it was disheartening to see her go. But Ivy went to try and make it better for everyone, and Daffodil didn't want to doubt that. She didn't want to think that Ivy had left them for nothing, and hoped that Ivy knew what she was doing.

"Violet, have you seen anything?"

Violet shrugged, her gaze unwavering. "No."

Daffodil leaned back, groaning to herself. "Things have gotten so *boring* as of late. I doubt we're going to see any dragons *at all* at this rate."

"We're not supposed to want to see dragons, Daffodil!" Violet snapped, glaring at her. Daffodil only crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. At least that seemed to get a reaction out of her. Daffodil was hoping to keep Violet's mind off of Ivy for the time being, at least until she felt ready to talk about it - this was a start, she supposed. "And besides...I'd rather not see another dragon any time soon."

Upon seeing the distraught gleam in her eyes, Daffodil felt her chest tighten at the sight of it. There it was again. To Daffodil, it seemed like there wasn't anything she could do to help Violet out. Did Violet even want her around? Though she strongly doubted that was the case, perhaps there was a small part of her that believed it to be true - after all, why would Violet want someone around who just let her get arrested? Despite what Ivy had said to console her that Daffodil did the right thing, every time she thought back to those moments, she always found more ways of what she she could've - no, should've done differently. However, she still couldn't stand seeing Violet upset. She awkwardly began to climb down to Violet's branch, trying her best not to lose her grip.

Violet only shot another glare at Daffodil upon realizing this. "Daffodil, don't you dare!" Her tone was an uneven mixture of concern and irritation, which didn't particularly make Daffodil feel any better. But she'd already made up her mind.

Sliding down onto the branch, Daffodil flashed a smirk at Violet. "I'm perfectly fine, you don't need to worry."

"Still, don't you think that it wouldn't hurt to stay put during skygazing for once?" Violet let out an exasperated groan. Daffodil just let out a small chuckle in response, opting not to actually answer her question. "But seriously. There's a reason it's a rule in the first place."

Rolling her eyes, Daffodil shrugged. "I was only worried about you, silly. You still look really upset, just like with yesterday."

Violet's expression morphed into a frown. "You shouldn't worry about me, Daff. Especially when we're skygazing-"

"Shhh. I'm allowed to worry about my best friend whenever I want. Especially when she clearly needs some form of comfort."

This caused Violet to blush in reply, now avoiding Daffodil's gaze. Almost immediately Daffodil began to worry - had she said something wrong? Maybe she took the wrong approach, or maybe she shouldn't have worded it like that - Daffodil tried her best not to move, but she felt herself shrinking backwards. Feeling Violet's palm touch her cheeks, Daffodil could feel her thumb wipe away a tear streaming down her face.

Violet's lips curled into a small smile. "Daffodil, I'm grateful you care enough to try and cheer me up, but maybe while we're skygazing isn't the best time?"

Her cheeks growing hot, Daffodil crossed her arms. "When am I supposed to comfort you, then? It never seems to be the best time when I offer!" Sighing, she muttered, "I want to at least try to help you, Violet..."

Still blushing, Violet grimaced. "I-I know, but...it's hard to talk about. And hard for me to want to talk about it. It's just...nothing like this has happened before, hasn't there?"

"And I'll be here to help you talk about it! See?" Struggling to maintain eye contact with Violet, Daffodil added in a whisper, "Look, I know this whole situation with Ivy leaving is getting to you. I want you to know that I get how you feel about it. We both were best friends with her, remember?"

Remaining silent for a moment, Daffodil avoided meeting Violet's gaze, unsure of how she'd react. Should she have mentioned that she knew what this whole thing was about? Even though Daffodil vastly preferred getting directly to the point, it didn't help that Violet wanted to AVOID the point - and it was pretty hard to keep that in mind, at least in Daffodil's opinion. A small sigh from Violet caught her attention, though Daffodil refused to look up.

Violet's voice was soft as she began to talk. "I-I...thanks, I suppose." Daffodil raised an eyebrow at her. What was bringing this on all of a sudden? "Thanks for being patient with me. And for trying to help. Even though it's kind of annoying at times-"

"I am NOT being annoying about it! I am just...very *determined* to see you get better," Daffodil huffed, pouting a little. Violet merely snorted in reply. "...but seriously though, am I actually annoying you?"

Now holding back a few chuckles, Violet only shrugged. "Maybe."

Playfully nudging her, Daffodil feigned irritation, though a few giggles wriggled their way out. She knew that Violet was kidding - well, at least she hoped Violet was joking. Regardless of what she actually meant, on the inside, Daffodil was beaming - she'd gotten Violet to open up since Ivy left, at least a little bit. This was actual progress. Maybe she did say something right after all? Daffodil always found it harder to tell with Violet - over the years, it's become more obvious to Daffodil that Violet preferred downplaying how she felt towards others, apart from when Violet was irked or outright furious. Aside from the subtle jabs she made, it made it difficult for Daffodil to figure what Violet was feeling, apart from when Daffodil knew for a fact that Violet was enraged with her, and her alone.

Violet smiled in response. "Even if it is irritating, it's very sweet of you to do. Makes me really glad that we're friends." Daffodil could feel her face going red, unable to stop her grin from spreading. "Am I getting too mushy?"

"A little, but I don't mind." *I'm just happy that you're smiling again.*

Chapter 3 -

Violet

It had been a bit since Violet and Daffodil had finished their skygazing for the day, it being at least a few hours ago. Violet was relieved to be back underground - while she enjoyed being outside from time to time, the lingering fear that she or Daffodil could be eaten by a dragon hadn't wavered one bit since their first day of training. But it seemed like less dragons had been flying around in their area, or at least looked like they weren't headed towards Valor, so Violet felt a little better about it.

Daffodil was walking alongside Violet - when standing by each other's side, the height difference between them was painfully obvious. Violet couldn't help but notice it herself, as she was just barely able to see the top of Daffodil's head - she wasn't going to mention it today, however. She knew how Daffodil felt about her height - being mentioned the shortest out of her, Violet, and Ivy was not something she took lightly. Violet felt like she'd find better things to irritate Daffodil with, anyhow - whether on purpose or on accident was an entirely different matter. However, aside from that, Violet had also noticed that Daffodil had began standing closer to her than she used to. Violet didn't entirely mind this, though - after all, it did feel a little more comforting, having someone else at her side in Valor. Especially after the Wingwatcher arrests.

"Hey, Violet?" Daffodil's voice brought Violet back to reality. She glanced at Daffodil, curious. "Do you have any plans for the rest of the day? Just asking."

Violet shrugged. "I might add more to my poetry book or catch up on my reading. Nothing much."

Daffodil arched an eyebrow. "I knew you like writing, but I didn't know you wrote poetry. Or was even into it."

Letting out a small chuckle, Violet rolled her eyes. "Ah yes, because you'd be that into poetry."

"Hey! I write *some* poetry!" Daffodil snapped, looking slightly offended. "Dare I say that I'm great at it."

Her eyes narrow, Violet jokingly muttered, "It's probably adequate at best. Let's not forget you had to take writing twice."

"*I still passed*. And besides, my poetry is better than yours, anyways."

Violet scoffed. "I highly doubt that, but if you *really* want to prove yourself wrong, you can bring your poetry with the next time you come over so we can finally establish that I'm the better writer."

Crossing her arms, Daffodil huffed. "Fine! But don't get all livid with me when I prove you wrong!"

Now refusing to look her in the eye, Violet just groaned, opting to focus on walking instead. Though she refused to believe that she was incorrect in the slightest, Violet was rather curious to see what kind of poetry Daffodil wrote. *Knowing her, it'll probably be about boys or some crap like that,* She mused, almost snickering aloud at the thought. *But I guess I can't assume too much.*

As the two continued walking side by side, trying (and failing) to ignore the other, eventually Moth came rushing over to them, looking relieved to see them both. Inwardly, Violet couldn't help but feel grateful - hopefully this would be a brief respite from arguing with Daffodil.

"Hey, Daffodil and Violet!" He greeted them, a smile on his face. As he came up to them, his gaze widened upon seeing the looks on their faces. "Oh. Are you both in another argument? Should I go?"

Daffodil shot one last glare at Violet before snapping, "Well, we wouldn't be if SOMEONE could just admit that I'm a great writer!"

Violet placed her hands on her hips. "I never said you weren't a great writer. I just said you weren't the best."

Before Daffodil could make a sharp retort, Moth interrupted, much to Violet's relief.

"I just got back from a fruit gathering party and I'm having difficulty with the peaches. I was wondering if you could help me take some to the school? I'm going to need some help taking them there, and I noticed you both were just nearby so-"

"Sure, we'll help out," Violet said, shrugging. Daffodil stopped glaring at her for a moment, looking rather indifferent to the idea.

Moth let out a relieved sigh, gesturing for them to follow. Violet did so, with Daffodil still tagging along. Violet had to wonder just how much longer she could be an annoyance to Daffodil for today until she lost her temper, but she decided not to answer that question. Even though their fights could be a little...absurd, she'd admit, it was nice to have something else to ruminate on other than the whole Ivy situation. Though it still weighed heavily on her mind, Violet was grateful that Daffodil had given her something else to think about...no matter how stupid it was.

Violet still couldn't help but think back to what had happened earlier during skygazing. She couldn't get that genuine smile Daffodil had given her out of her head, nor could she get how sweet Daffodil was towards her out, either. And all that blushing Daffodil did over a simple "thank you"...Violet found it impossible to think it was anything but adorable. It made her heart flutter that morning, and she still couldn't help but feel so elated over the whole thing whenever she thought about it.

It wasn't long before Moth decided to break the silence, glancing back every so often to face them.

"So...how was skygazing today?"

Almost immediately Violet and Daffodil's gazes met, a visible blush on Daffodil's face - Violet felt her own cheeks heating up, too.

Ignoring how quickly her cheeks flared up, Violet shrugged. "Nothing much happened. We didn't have to report that much this time." *Technically it's the truth...hopefully he'll just accept it.*

His gaze was still on them, specifically on Daffodil - she was still blushing, terribly hard. Violet grimaced, glancing down at the ground. Was Daffodil embarrassed by all the things Violet had said earlier? Maybe Violet had went a little overboard with it? Daffodil did say that Violet had gotten a little too mushy - then again, she said that she didn't mind it, so maybe-

"Are you guys sure nothing happened? It looks like something happened between you two."

Daffodil's gaze was wide, her cheeks still flushed. "None of your business."

He rolled his eyes, laughing. "You seem oddly defensive about today's skygazing, Daffodil."

"I am *not* getting defensive! And it's still *none* of your business!" Daffodil snapped. Violet could only hold back a few snickers; it didn't help that Daffodil was still blushing, nor that Violet thought it was adorable to watch, either. After catching her breath, she only sighed. "Can we just...go deliver those peaches?"

Moth just chuckled, but nodded in reply. Violet arched an eyebrow at Daffodil, who was now grumbling to herself, with her arms crossed and cheeks flushed. She couldn't wrap her head around it - Violet didn't really see why Daffodil had gotten so snippy with Moth over what had happened earlier, considering she never got frustrated with him like that in the past. And it didn't help that Daffodil had gotten so defensive over it, either. Violet certainly didn't feel frustrated with him for it, or as irritated with him - as they continued walking, Violet had to hold back a few more chuckles while thinking it over.

Chapter 4 -

Daffodil

"FINALLY!" Daffodil breathed, dramatically falling on her back. In her hands was a dull pencil, with several eraser shavings scattered along the cave floor. She was sleeping over at Violet's cave once again, and she had hoped nothing would go wrong like things had last time. Violet was in her hammock, reading a book.

She laughed quietly to herself, raising an eyebrow. "You finished with your masterpiece?"

Daffodil scowled at Violet, but shrugged it off. *I guess that's some kind of compliment about my writing, coming from her.* "I'm ready to prove you wrong."

Now catching her attention, Violet set her book aside and sat down next to Daffodil. Her gaze trailed over to the several pieces of paper by Daffodil's side. "I don't suppose it matters which one I read first, I assume?"

"Doesn't matter. It'll still be better than yours!"

Daffodil had already seen some of Violet's poems earlier, and while she wasn't going to tell that to Violet out loud (Daffodil wasn't going to prove Violet right), she could admit that it was pretty good. *Maybe there was some truth to her having better skill in writing than me...but I refuse to believe she's right.* Daffodil eventually sat up, rubbing her back as she watched Violet read the poem. As she saw hints of a blush in her face, Daffodil's gaze widened in panic - whichever one Violet had picked up, Daffodil didn't think she'd like where their conversation would be heading.

Upon finishing up the poem, Violet just stared at Daffodil, blushing. "...Is this one of those love poems Ivy mentioned?"

Cringing, Daffodil nodded. "...Yes. Which one is it?"

"Well. You have a way with words, I'll give you that." Violet shrugged. After some more silence, she added, "I don't know which one it is. It looks more recent, since I can actually read your handwriting in this one."

"HEY!" Daffodil snapped. She couldn't stay entirely mad at Violet after she let out a few amused chuckles in response. "But it looks recent? Let me see."

Taking the paper out of Violet's hands, Daffodil scanned through her writing, a small feeling of dread creeping down her back. *It better not be the one I think it is...* But the more she continuously reread it, her suspicions were confirmed every single time. Daffodil glanced back up at Violet, her palms growing sweaty. *Maybe she won't realize it's about her. At least, she better not.*

Violet arched an eyebrow. "I didn't think it was that bad. It's actually pretty cute."

"I- no, I must've forgotten to put it away! You weren't meant to see *that* one!" Daffodil could feel herself burning up with embarrassment. Even though Violet didn't seem to notice what it actually was about, she wasn't going to take her chances.

Amused, Violet let out a snort. "I didn't know that I could be such a mortifying subject for you, Daff. Especially when you write about me so well." Daffodil let out a defeated groan, digging her face into her arms. "Stop that. I'm not mad at you. I find it adorable, in all honesty."

Daffodil only continued to grumble about it. "I just didn't want YOU to see it. At least, not *now*."

"Well, I was going to see it at some point. Might as well be today," Violet muttered, shrugging her shoulders. She placed her hand on Daffodil's wrist, tilting her head. "Seriously, I'm not mad at you at all for something like this. I'm just curious...how long have you been crushing on me?"

"*Violet*!" Daffodil whined.

Laughing, Violet nudged Daffodil's shoulder. "Alright, alright. I'll stop asking questions about it, since you clearly aren't going to answer them anyways. I'm just finding it hard to believe."

Daffodil sighed, pouting a little. "What's so hard to believe about my crush on you? I think most of Valor would disagree with that..."

Letting out one last chuckle, Violet smirked at her. "I think I might like you too."

*Oh. That makes much more sense, doesn't it?* Daffodil still couldn't believe what she had just heard - Violet wasn't angry with her for writing an incredibly gushy poem about her, and perhaps liked her back? Daffodil really hoped she wasn't just having a good dream...not once had she thought that Violet would possibly feel the same. *If it was a dream, I don't think I'd want it to end.*

"You're serious? Like, as in you think you might have a crush on me too?"

Violet rolled her eyes. "What else do you think I meant? I'm pretty sure I do by now, anyways..." She awkwardly glanced around the room, still blushing. "So...were you planning to ask me out to the Wingwatcher's Dance, then?"

Daffodil grimaced. "Well, now it's obviously yes, but I didn't even know if you wanted to go! That and things are kind of complicated with Forest now..."

Sighing the minute she heard his name, Violet crossed her arms. "Please don't tell me you only agreed to go out with him because you weren't sure about...us. And please tell me I misheard you say Forest."

"Look, I know you don't like him that much. But he really isn't horrifying, as you put it." Violet only rolled her eyes in response, but said nothing. "Anyways, I only told him I had to think about it. Only Ivy knew about him asking me, I think. That and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about you yet-"

"Well, that's going to be fun, isn't it?" Violet butted in, groaning. "I'm certainly excited to see where *this* goes at the dance."

Daffodil frowned. "I planned on talking to him *before* the dance, shut up. I just don't want to lead him on or anything like that - the having a crush on you part didn't help me much, either."

Violet let out an exasperated sigh. "At least you're doing something about it before it becomes too chaotic for your liking."

"I'm not an idiot, Violet! I *know* what I'm doing!" Daffodil snapped back, crossing her arms.

"I know you aren't! I'm just saying, I'm glad that you're doing something about this before it gets to be too much. I've never liked drama to begin with, nor do I want to be at the center of it." Letting out a soft sigh, she added, "Does anyone else know about this whole...thing between us? Or is it mainly just people suspecting it?"

Daffodil shrugged. "Pretty sure it's mostly just people suspecting it. Moth is...clearly an outlier, you saw how he was acting about the whole situation a few days ago. I'm dreading it if I'm right, but...I think Daisy might know that at least I like you?"

Raising an eyebrow, Violet leaned back. "How would she know? I thought we agreed to never have a sleepover at your place because of her. The last time I stayed at your place was almost a year ago."

Groaning, Daffodil shook her fists. "Those first few sleepovers we had after we became Wingwatchers? *That's* probably why! Don't tell me you don't remember."

"Of course I remember!" Violet shot back, huffing. "Three moons, were you really that obvious about it then, too?"

"I didn't even know I liked both girls and boys a year ago, so shut it!" After a brief pause, Daffodil rubbed her forehead, grumbling. "Either way, she's not going to leave me alone about this tomorrow."

Violet snorted. "Everything you tell me about Daisy makes me so glad that I don't have siblings. You make it sound like a nightmare." Daffodil chuckled, leaning onto Violet's shoulder. "But I've always wondered what having a sibling would be like. Aside from all the horror stories you've told me, I mean."

Daffodil glanced up at her, sighing. "Even though Daisy's absolutely annoying, I don't think I'd regret having her for a sister. She's not completely terrible, I guess. Just mostly terrible."

"Alright, if you say so," Violet laughed, rolling her eyes. "We should probably go to sleep soon, though. I'm going on a fruit gathering party tomorrow morning, and I don't want to be late. And you know how your mom is with sleepovers..."

Only smiling in response, Daffodil yawned a little - she wasn't exactly going to argue with Violet on that front. Craning her neck upwards, Daffodil gently pecked Violet on the cheek before shutting her eyes, already drowsy.

Chapter 5 -

Violet

Though her eyelids were heavy, Violet managed to wake herself up, despite wanting to catch a few more winks of sleep before the day started. She was laying on her mattress with Daffodil still curled up next to her - though Violet would've been more than happy to head right to sleep, she didn't want to leave Daffodil laying down on the floor. Violet gave her a small, tired smile as her hands brushed up against Daffodil's hair - as she gently played with a few strands of it, she noticed that Daffodil wasn't wearing her hair in a ponytail, unlike she usually did.

Chuckling softly, Violet let out a sigh. "Lost your ribbons again, didn't you? Can't say I'm shocked." Dropping another strand of hair, she added, "But I've always thought you looked pretty with or without them, so I'm not complaining."

Carefully draping an arm over Daffodil's shoulder, Violet inhaled deeply, inching a little closer to Daffodil. She could feel the drowsiness trying to lull her back to sleep - the temptation to fall back asleep was strong, and Violet wasn't going to lie that getting some more sleep sounded great. *Too bad I have work,* She thought, exhaling softly as the tip of her nose brushed against a clump of Daffodil's hair. *It'd be nice if I could be with Daff like this more often.*

Eventually forcing herself to get up, she sat up on the edge of the mattress, grimacing. Glancing over in Daffodil's direction, Violet raised an eyebrow once she saw Daffodil's strained expression - she was still asleep, wasn't she? Placing her hand on Daffodil's arm, she gently rubbed her fingers back and forth, Violet grimaced as Daffodil stayed asleep. *Is she having a nightmare? Hopefully not, but...it's not like she'd tell me these things. I know she doesn't want me to worry about her.*

Getting to her feet, Violet began to dress into her Wingwatcher uniform while keeping an eye on Daffodil - she wasn't sure how long she had slept in, but she felt it was long enough for her to start getting ready to leave right away. Daffodil remained asleep, though she did show some signs of starting to wake up - it didn't comfort Violet in the fact that she still looked like she was having some sort of nightmare, however. Noticing that some of Daffodil's poems were still scattered on the floor, Violet held back a few chuckles as she put them into a pile, leaving them on her desk.

"Hopefully she doesn't forget about these...though I don't think I'd mind reading through some more of her poetry," Violet muttered to herself, glancing back at Daffodil. She was now somewhat awake, groaning a bit. In response, Violet crouched on her knees, laughing a little. "Sorry, Daff. Did I wake you up?"

Daffodil smiled at her, albeit still drowsy. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't having the best dream, anyways."

Frowning, Violet sighed. "Yeah, I...I noticed. It wasn't another nightmare, was it? Is everything okay?"

Blinking at her a few times, Daffodil shrugged. "I don't want to make you late worrying about my problems, Violet. I'll be fine."

"You're very reassuring," Violet snapped, rolling her eyes. "I've never been early to any of our Wingwatcher tasks anyways. You being alright is more important to me than not showing up late. And do you really think it'll do either of us any good if we don't talk about it?"

Daffodil was about to argue, before she rolled onto her back in a huff. "Fine, fine! I guess you're right." Inhaling sharply, she nodded. "It was another nightmare. I...it was about the Wingwatcher arrests. I've been having that same nightmare constantly since we...you know. Got separated. Don't judge me for it...I already know it's really silly that I still think about it even though it's all over with."

Violet grimaced, rubbing her palm against Daffodil's cheeks. "Daff, that's not silly at all! If anyone judges you for it, then clearly they weren't involved during the arrests." Sighing, Violet's shoulders slumped. "Do you feel comfortable telling me what happened in it, at least?"

"...When you were arrested. That was happening, I mean. Or at least one of the things," Daffodil admitted, struggling to meet Violet's gaze. "I always wake up feeling so guilty about leaving you behind and not doing anything to help, and I-"

Violet reached for Daffodil's hand, inching closer to her. "Daffodil. You did the right thing by running to get Ivy. If you did anything else, you might've gotten arrested too. Don't blame yourself for it, alright?"

A tear rolled Daffodil's cheeks. "I still feel terrible about it. Even if you and Ivy are right, that doesn't mean I didn't try to help you when you needed it most. Seriously, why DON'T you blame me?"

"DAFF, would you stop talking yourself down for a moment and listen to me? I don't blame you because I'm not an idiot!" Violet snapped, narrowing her eyes at Daffodil. Another tear streamed down Daffodil's face as she recoiled in shock. "There wasn't anything either of us could've done to prevent it! You're lucky you didn't get arrested with me!"

Frowning, Daffodil rubbed her eyes. "At least I wouldn't have to lose you like that if I did get arrested."

"You wouldn't like the prison, Daff. Trust me, we both would prefer it that you were safe with Ivy and not imprisoned waiting for who knows what kind of punishment."

Daffodil let out a choked up sob. "I missed you so much."

Violet sighed as she embraced Daffodil in her arms. "I missed you too."

*You aggravate me so much, but you're still my best friend,* She thought, unable to resist smiling as Daffodil returned the gesture. *And no matter what, I'll always be here for you.* Breaking away from Daffodil, Violet wiped away one of the tears rolling down Daffodil's face, smiling at her.

Daffodil laughed softly, still tearing up. "Sorry for making you late for your fruit gathering party. Foxglove and the others probably aren't going to like that very much, aren't they?"

"You don't need to apologize, Daff. Spending time with you is better than work, anyways," Violet chuckled. She brushed some of Daffodil's hair to the side. "I'm just glad that you decided to open up to me about this. It would've been nicer if you told me earlier, though..."

Blushing, Daffodil groaned. "I'm trying!" She crossed her arms, huffing - though she still had a grin on her face. "But it wouldn't hurt to work on it more in the future, I suppose."

Amused, Violet gently nudged her shoulder. "I know. And I'll be there to help you get through that, I promise." She took a brief glance at the door behind her, humming to herself. "I don't think I'll be all that late, though. I could walk with you back to your place, if you want? I'm sure I have the time."

"Violet, I don't need help walking back-" She stopped herself, blinking a few times. "Oh. You just want to spend more time with me, don't you?"

Rolling her eyes, Violet held back a chortle. "No, Daff. That certainly isn't why I'm offering."

Daffodil stood up, playfully punching Violet's elbow. "Oh, quit it!"

Violet cracked up more in response, but eventually forced herself to contain her laughter. "But seriously. I can come with if you want? We might as well since I'm not sure how long I'll be out and you'll be busy dealing with the whole thing with Forest today, I assume?"

"Oh, haha. Thanks for reminding me," Daffodil muttered, traces of a scowl on her face.

"I'm kidding, Daff!" Violet crossed her arms, still giggling. "You have an entire week to deal with it, so there's no pressure. Deal with it when you're ready to. But getting it over with sooner would be preferable, in all honesty."

Daffodil scoffed, but said nothing more about it. "Yes, you can walk me home. But you have to promise to immediately go to work, alright?" Nodding, Violet leaned down a bit to peck Daffodil on the forehead, right before Daffodil took a few steps back, huffing. "That makes me feel short and you know it."

Snickering, Violet rolled her eyes. "Fine. You can kiss me instead, how about that?"

Daffodil narrowed her eyes at Violet, but shrugged it off. She aimed for Violet's lips, which had taken Violet by surprise - however, she let Daffodil go ahead, not bothering to protest against it. Rather, she found herself being more focused on how soft Daffodil's lips were against her own. Violet pushed her lips a little harder onto Daffodil's, wrapping her arms around Daffodil's shoulders. However, Violet broke away once she noticed one of her dads standing in the entryway, looking slightly amused. She could feel her cheeks flushing upon hearing his soft chuckles.

"Don't worry, I didn't see that much."

Violet let out an exasperated sigh. "What are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow in faint amusement. "Just checking to see if you were getting ready to leave for work." Glancing at Daffodil, he asked, "I assume you'll be heading home in a bit, Daffodil?"

Daffodil grinned at Violet, nudging her shoulder. "Violet's walking me back! But as soon as she drops me off she's going straight to work, right?"

"I'm not sure if I'll be going *straight* to work, but I'll still go anyways," She replied, returning the gesture with a few laughs. Glancing back at her father, Violet crossed her arms. "Can we have some privacy?"

Her dad laughed for a bit longer before leaving, also having mentioned that there was breakfast in the kitchen. Violet could still feel the heat in her cheeks, even after he left. Just how much of it did he even see? She really hoped he had just came in when she stopped - Violet wasn't entirely sure she would be able to live that down anytime soon.

Daffodil smirked at her, snickering. "Think he saw how much you were getting into it?"

Huffing, Violet glared at her. "I wasn't THAT into it!"

"Uh, yeah you were! I could feel you pressing harder, you know." Daffodil playfully shoved Violet's shoulder once again, to which Violet groaned. "Violet, I'm not saying it's a bad thing! I enjoyed it." She already began to head out the room, laughing. "Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm starving!"

Violet scowled, though she couldn't find it in herself to get frustrated with Daffodil. Of course Violet wasn't going to say it outloud, but she did enjoy kissing Daffodil more than she'd like to admit. Casting one last glance at the small stack of papers resting on her desk, she smiled to herself as she followed Daffodil to the kitchen.

Chapter 6 -

Daffodil

Daffodil genuinely wanted to scream.

Whether it was out of frustration with her mom for not being able to trust her at the dance for some ridiculous reason or because Daffodil thought knew the real reason her sister was coming along, she was *not* pleased to find out Daisy had volunteered to tag along with Daffodil for the *entire dance*. Daffodil still wasn't sure why Daisy volunteered in the first place; she wasn't even a Wingwatcher - why did she want to go? She was pretty sure Daisy wanted to just tease Daffodil more about her and Violet, but it seemed to Daffodil that there was more to it.

Daisy nudged Daffodil's shoulder, grinning. "I still can't believe my little sister is a Wingwatcher! Never did I think that you'd actually want to be one, but you'll make a great Wingwatcher regardless!"

Throwing a glare at her, Daffodil scowled. "What do you mean by 'you'll make a great Wingwatcher' as if I wasn't a great one already-?"

"Oh look!" Daisy interrupted, much to Daffodil's frustration.

Daffodil turned to see Moth headed towards the same cave as they were - Squirrel and Chipmunk alongside him. *Well, I guess it does make sense that all of them would be going together. They are brothers. But I thought Moth wasn't going? Or Squirrel for that matter.*

Daisy turned to face Daffodil and smiled, albeit mainly to herself. "Daffodil, aren't you friends with Moth?"

Scoffing, Daffodil rolled her eyes. "As if! He can be just as grating as you are, why would I want to surround myself with *that*?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to talk to them before the dance, would it?" Daisy replied, purposefully ignoring Daffodil's jab at her. She grabbed Daffodil's hand, rushing over to them. "You need to talk to more people other than your girlfriend, anyways."

"Violet is *not* my girlfriend-"

Daisy snorted. "Oh, I get it. You both are waiting to announce it, aren't you? Don't worry, I can keep a secret."

As Daffodil reluctantly let Daisy drag her over to the three, she groaned to herself. *I can't wait for Violet to arrive.* Upon reaching them, Daisy had immediately turned her attention to Chipmunk - Daffodil wasn't sure whether to feel annoyed by this, or baffled. Moth seemed to notice this too, perking up once he saw Daffodil begrudgingly following behind Daisy.

He grinned. "Hey, Daffodil! Trying to be early for once?"

Daffodil narrowed her eyes at him. "No. But if you really must know, Daisy doesn't trust me to get to the dance by myself."

"Well, I can't say I blame her. You do have a really bad streak of being late to...uh, pretty much everything if I'm being honest," Moth replied with a shrug. His cheerful grin morphed into a humoured smirk as he took a side glance at Chipmunk and Daisy. "Or alternatively, it's because those two lovebirds just couldn't wait to see each other before the dance."

Chipmunk's cheeks flushed, whipping his head around to face Moth. "Moth! I thought we agreed to save your side comments for after the dance?" Sighing, he turned back to Daisy. "I - sorry about him. We *had* an agreement that he wouldn't bother either of us tonight, but I guess he found it more amusing to get on my nerves."

Daisy placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Chipmunk. I don't mind him." She gave him a small smile. "And I mean, it is partially true. I couldn't wait to see you today."

Squirrel suddenly cleared his throat, which had taken Daffodil by surprise. "Why don't you two go ahead? You both need the privacy, after all."

Chipmunk seemed like he was going to argue, but instead walked along the tunnel leading to the cave where the dance was being held - Daisy at his side, albeit struggling to catch up. Daffodil let out a sigh of relief once Daisy was out of earshot.

"Thank you for getting rid of her, I don't know how much longer I could last!" Daffodil breathed, though laughing quietly to herself. *So even Daisy of all people is able to have a love life. I* knew *she**was hiding something interesting in that diary!*

Squirrel shrugged, chuckling. "No problem. Chipmunk and Moth have been going at it all day regardless, so I thought it'd be wise to split them up sooner rather than later."

Moth scoffed, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't say all day! I'd say maybe...just this evening?"

"Hah!" Squirrel had already began to resume his walk, gesturing for Daffodil to follow. "Why don't you come with us? I'm guessing you're also heading to the dance, anyhow."

Daffodil simply nodded; she didn't particularly like Moth, but she enjoyed talking with Squirrel, so maybe having some tolerable company before meeting up with Violet would be alright. *I wonder if Violet's already there? She's always been more punctual to these things than me anyways.*

Moth nudged her shoulder, smirking at her. "So...who's your date?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Daffodil muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.
He took a few steps back, smirking. "What's that look for? It's just a question."

Groaning, Daffodil snapped, "I'm not going out with Forest, I'll tell you that much. Satisfied?"

A flash of shock and concern was on his face. "Seriously? How'd he take it?"

"He was disappointed, but we both agreed it was for the best," She confessed, avoiding Moth's gaze. "I really didn't want to hurt him, but if I just went with it I'd be playing with his feelings. He's still my friend and I want to stay friends with him."

Moth patted her back, his arm now wrapped around her shoulders. "Hey, he's my friend too - well, best friend if you ask me. I'm glad you told him the truth, and I'm sure he is too!" Dropping his voice to a whisper, he added, "So this does mean that Forest doesn't have a date, right? Wait, scratch that - is he still going?"

Daffodil raised her eyebrows, resisting the urge to laugh. "If what you're trying to ask is "Daffodil, do you think I have a chance with Forest at the dance?" then maybe, I don't know. Did you even ask him about the dance or anything like that?"

"About that - I was trying to help him ask you out," He admitted, his cheeks beginning to flush red. "I mean, yeah, I really like him in that way! But I saw that he was crushing on you and I thought it was best to let you guys be together without interfering. I never thought I had much of a chance with him, anyways. If you wanted, of course..."

Smiling back at him, Daffodil chuckled. "You are a surprisingly good friend for someone who can be incredibly annoying. But uh, thanks for not...being upset that I kind of rejected Forest after that." She crossed her arms. "...Is he even aware of that you're crushing on him? I mean, if you've never told him, *of course* you aren't going to have a chance with him!"

Moth grimaced. "No...I really want to tell him but I also don't want to. It's terrifying to think about how he might react."

Lightly nudging his shoulder, Daffodil nodded. "Yeah, I get what you mean. But I didn't know how Violet would react to me having a crush on her, and look how we turned out! You can't assume that it'll automatically be a negative reaction."

"Wait...so you *are* admitting that something went down between you two last week?"

Daffodil gave him a shove. "You know what I said! Quit changing the topic."

Moth laughed, regaining his balance. "Okay, okay! I'll try to talk to him about it."

After what seemed to be several minutes of chatting with Moth, Squirrel had already went ahead - according to Moth, he was helping out with things going on in the background of the dance, since Squirrel had no interest in dancing or doing anything of the sort. They followed him into the main cave where it was taking place, remaining nearby the entry - not many others were here, aside from the obvious. She noticed Squirrel on the far left of the room, chatting with both Foxglove and Pine. Daffodil could hear Moth scoffing from her side.

"More like *Squirrel* needs the privacy, sheesh. If I knew he was going to hang around Pine all night I would've teased him too and he knows it," Moth grumbled, crossing his arms. He glanced around the cave, soon spotting Forest. "Daffodil, could you come with me?"

Snorting, Daffodil gently patted his back. "Yes, I'll help you ask Forest out on a date."

Moth laughed in response, though Daffodil could tell he was already tensing up - if not due to the way his gaze darted around the cave and the red rising in his cheeks. Daffodil would tell him not to be so nervous or try to act a little more natural, but she couldn't exactly blame him. *I'd probably act the same if I had to tell Violet about my crush on her in this way. I really got lucky, didn't I...?* She had to stop Moth in his tracks once they reached Forest, as he had been trying to avoid sharing eye contact with him the entire walk.

Forest noticed them, giving them a small smile. "Oh, hey Moth and...Daffodil." She could hear the hesitation in his voice when he said her name - frankly, while she couldn't help but feel somewhat hurt by it, she couldn't blame him either. *I really wish I had been honest from the start.* "What is it?"

Daffodil had to gently nudge Moth's shoulder to get him to speak up.

"W-Well, um...I was wondering if you'd like to, uh..." Moth stammered, still avoiding Forest's gaze.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, Daffodil gave him a reassuring look. "Take deep breaths, Moth. You can do it!" He smiled back at her, nodding.

Moth inhaled sharply, shaking a little. "I-I wanted to know if you wanted to dance with me. For tonight, I mean..."

Forest blinked in surprise. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"I-I mean, I guess so? You don't have to if you don't want to-"

"Of course I'll dance with you! Why would I say no?"

Moth frowned. "Because you've had a crush on Daffodil for the longest time and would feel weird about me liking you in that way? Just a hunch."

Forest shook his head. "Why would I feel weird about that, either? I'm not denying that I did have a crush on Daffodil, and I'm definitely not denying that I'm still dealing with being rejected. But you are my friend, and despite everything going on, I'll dance with you regardless."

"Wait, no - please don't agree just because you feel bad."

Sighing, Forest crossed his arms. "I'm not agreeing out of pity. I'm agreeing to dance with you because I like you - not entirely sure in which way, but I do like you. Besides, it'll be fun, won't it?"

Moth had an aghast expression on his face before grinning. "Yeah. It'll be fun." He turned to Daffodil briefly, his cheeks still flushed. "Thanks, Daffodil."

"Any time," She replied, smirking. Glancing at Forest, she grimaced. "Sorry again about the whole...rejecting you thing."

Forest smiled a little. "It's alright, you don't need to feel bad about it. I'm just glad that you were honest with me, though it would've been nice if you had told me from the start."

Daffodil chuckled awkwardly, nodding. "Yeah, I wish I had too. We're still friends?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be? Being friends with you is just as nice," He laughed, playfully nudging her arm. "Besides, I'm happy for you and Violet! ...Speaking of her, where is she? I thought she would have arrived before you, but..."

Shrugging, Daffodil frowned. "Not sure. I thought she'd be early, since...well, you both know how infamous I am for being late."

Forest held back a chortle. "Yeah, I'm surprised you got here early."

"Daisy dragged me here like she always does when I'm early. It doesn't count," She joked, rolling her eyes.

Moth tilted his head. "Well, we are pretty early. I'm sure she'll be here soon." He glanced at Forest, raising an eyebrow. "Did you come here with your mom? I didn't see her when we came in."

Forest frowned. "She was here for a while then she took off. I'm not sure where she is, but I'm guessing it's important. Since she's the lord of Valor now." He remained silent before adding in a whisper, "That feels so weird to say."

"If you can consider sneaking off to see Lark important, then yeah, it's a pretty serious job."

The three turned to see Foxglove, who seemed amused.

Daffodil was baffled. "She...she leaves the dance just to see Ivy's mom?"

Foxglove nodded. "Yep, it's kind of a thing with her - she's been doing this before she even became the commander of the Wingwatchers according to some of the older Wingwatchers. Most of us have gotten used to it at this point, despite how ridiculous it is. She should be back soon if you need her."

*Would I just leave the dance if Violet wasn't here? I mean, I wouldn't want to ditch the dance if she wasn't able to come, but...I'd still want to be with her.*

"I for one find it very sweet and romantic," Moth replied, smiling. He laughed, glancing at Forest. "You might have a step-sister in the future! Isn't that exciting?"

Forest groaned, though he couldn't help but let out a few laughs. Daffodil joined them too; before she turned back to Foxglove, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you seen Violet yet?"

Foxglove shook her head. "Sorry, Daffodil. I haven't seen her since arriving. I didn't think she was coming, either."

"She better not have ditched me," Daffodil growled, a pang of hurt in her chest. *Would she ditch me like this? I know she's not really a fan of dances, but...we agreed to dance together. I thought that's what we both wanted to do tonight.*

*Or was it just what I wanted?*

Moth narrowed his eyes. "Violet wouldn't ditch and you know it, Daffodil. I've seen how much you two have been looking forwards to this."

*Has she really? Or is she just pretending for my sake?* Daffodil couldn't help but let the thoughts linger in her head. She despised the idea of them being true and wanted the thoughts to just go away, but she couldn't stop them from popping up. *Daffodil, stop being an idiot. You're just overthinking again.*

"Daffodil, are you okay?" It was Forest this time.

She shook her head, now leaving for the exit as she felt a few tears fall down her face. "I'm going to find Violet myself."

Chapter 7 -

Violet

Violet sat on the edge of the shoreline of the underground lake, her face buried in her arms. There were tear stains on the sleeves of her dress, and it didn't help that she could still feel a few tears forming in her eyes. She knew fully well that she should be at the dance right now. With Daffodil, like she promised. Yet she couldn't bring herself to step foot inside.

*Ivy should be with us. It doesn't feel right to be at any sort of Wingwatcher event without her.* Violet frowned at the thought of her Wingwatcher uniform - the main reason she had joined was because of Ivy, not just the conspiracy. She didn't particularly want to be a Wingwatcher, nor did she ever think she'd become one - despite that, Violet became one anyways. She just wanted to do it with Ivy and Daffodil.

*Why did she have to leave?*

It was a silly question, really. One that Violet knew the answer to. It didn't change the fact that she had left as suddenly as she'd brought a dragon into Valor to dethrone Heath. *Ivy could've stayed a little longer, couldn't she? All she did was explain how she brought Sky into Valor and that she was going to leave Valor to change the world.* After Ivy had revealed that, Violet vividly remembered storming off in anger after arguing with her over it.

*"...You're just going to leave right after you came back?"*

*"I know. And I'm sorry. But this is something that I HAVE to do."*

*"How much longer until I can actually see you again?"*

*"I'll still come back to visit-"*

*"It's not the same and you know it!"*

*"Violet, please-"*

*"It's not fair! As soon as you come back for me you decide to leave me behind again and expect me to be okay with it!"*

*"There was nothing I could do to prevent you from getting arrested, Violet-"*

*"That's not my point! [...] Can't you stay a little longer? Please?"*

*"I'm sorry, Violet. But I have to go."*

*"I don't want you to go! I'll miss you too much."*

*"...I'll miss you too, Violet."*

She couldn't stop thinking back to how *stupid* she was acting. Violet should've known that there was no way that she'd be able to convince Ivy to back down from trying to change Pyrrhia, yet she still argued with Ivy over it anyways. She let her emotions get to her and it caused her to make a scene - possibly ruining her friendship with Ivy. *I was so angry...I still am.*

*And it still isn't fair.*

Violet had wanted things to go back to normal after everything - she just wanted to be with Daffodil and Ivy like before, but without the fear of possibly being banished from Valor - especially since she was well aware of how suspicious Ivy's father was of her and Daffodil. Turned out that she couldn't have even that, despite everything. And it hurt.

It was things like feeling guilty and bitter over Ivy leaving Valor that Violet wanted to hide. She didn't want to talk about how stupid it was for her to be so upset that Ivy was, as ridiculous as Violet thought the idea was, following her dreams. It was so much easier to just ignore her emotions and tell others that she was fine. Tell herself that she was fine. Violet could tell no one believed her - and she couldn't believe herself, either. She wasn't fine.

"Violet?"

Violet turned around to see Daffodil, who looked as if she had just ran across Valor and back (granted, she always looked like that). Daffodil's dress had a few tear stains on it, though her face caught most of them. *Damn it, just how long has she been worrying about me?*

Daffodil sat next to Violet, scowling. "Violet, I've been looking everywhere for you! I thought you *ditched*." She added in a whisper, "Did you just lie about wanting to go to the dance for my sake?"

Whipping her head around to face her, Violet glared at her. "Why the hell would I ditch you on purpose? Or lie to you about wanting to go to the dance? Daffodil, I mean it when I say you're my best friend and I mean it when I said I have a crush on you! Why would I do that to you?"

"You never showed up, and here I find you just staring out into space at the lake!" She snapped, more tears rolling down her cheeks. Daffodil noticed the stains on Violet's dress, her gaze softening. "Violet, are...are you okay?"

"No."

Daffodil rested her chin on Violet's shoulder. "...Is this why you didn't show up?"

Violet exhaled a few shaky breaths, nodding. "Yeah. I'm sorry for hurting you, I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't mean to make me upset, you idiot. I'm more concerned about you right now," Daffodil replied, inching closer to Violet. "Did you want to talk about it? I'm staying with you regardless of whether you want to speak about it, though."

Grimacing, Violet sighed. "That would be nice." She glanced back at Daffodil. "I...I'm pretty sure you know what it's about, but I've been thinking about Ivy leaving Valor still. I'm still upset about it."

Daffodil blinked sympathetically. "I know you are, Violet - I'm also upset about it, too."

Violet frowned. "Well, it's more of...more of the fight we had over it. With Ivy, I mean. I still feel guilty about how dumb I was acting. Ivy probably hates me after it."

"Oh. I think I know what you're talking about." Daffodil sat up, meeting Violet's eyes. "Violet, this is Ivy we're talking about. She won't hate you for being upset over her leaving - she's just not that type of person."

"I...I still yelled at her over it. I was so angry with her - I still am angry, but just with myself."

Daffodil nodded, sighing softly. "I can see where you're coming from, but...still. Ivy and I have had our own fair share of arguments but she's never held it against me - she's your best friend, too." As her hand brushed aside some of Violet's hair, she added, "And no, you weren't acting dumb, you were just upset, which is a reasonable reaction. Yeah, you definitely could've been better when going about it. But you were still upset and needed time to process it."

Violet took Daffodil's hand, lightly squeezing it. "I...I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince myself that I wasn't being irrational, but...thanks." Wrapping her arm against Daffodil's shoulders, she murmured, "Do you think Ivy will come back to visit soon? I miss her already."

"I'm not sure about soon, but I doubt she'll never visit us again. Try to have a little more faith in her." Taking in a deep breath, she curled up closer against Violet. "But yeah, I miss her too."

"I really wish she could be at the dance with us," Violet admitted, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I wouldn't have minded dancing with the both of you."

Daffodil laughed gingerly. "Neither would I, I've always been fond of her in that way as well."

As the comforting silence between the two of them grew, Violet glanced back at Daffodil. "Did you want to go back to the dance, or...?"

Daffodil shook her head, still smiling. "I don't care what we do tonight. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy to do whatever."

"Hmm, in that case...I want to stick around here a little longer," Violet responded, smiling back at her. Daffodil giggled in reply, leaning in for a kiss - Violet returned the gesture with pleasure, now fully embracing Daffodil in her arms. *As long as Daffodil's by my side, I think I can weather any storm that might come our way.*

## Trivia

* This fanfic might receive a sequel in the future if I have the motivation for it and/or have more time on my hands.
* This fanfic is the first in my series of Wings of Fire shipfics, the second likely being a Wrenvy (Wren/Ivy) fanfic.
* This is the first fanfic I've finished since 2018.