Lex couldn't help being stunned at how fast and easy this all was. She watched Master Makarov brand Ann and looked down at Master Makarov and at the stamp he was holding out. She just starred at him for a minute trying to think of where she wants it. Kneeling down she pulls her boot down revealing her ankle. "Right here please." She says looking back at Master Makarov.

He grinned and stamped her. A pink glow emitted from beneath the stamp and sparkly fairy dust drifted away revealing her Fairy Tail mark. Welcome to Fairy Tail. Turning he called out to the room, Listen up! Everyone! Everyone hushed at his command and looked at him expectantly. These two, Lex and Ann, are new members of Fairy Tail. Welcome them, but go easy on them okay. With that he stepped back and beamed like a new grandpa as different members of Fairy Tail came up to congratulate them and welcome them into the family.

Lex backs up a few steps embarrassed by everyone suddenly looking at them. "I'm not so sure about this anymore..." She mumbles as members of Fairy Tail start to come up to them. Nix chitters and moves uneasily back and forth on Lexs' shoulders. Neither one of them were used to big crowd like this. Lex moved behind Ann a little and grabbed Nix off her shoulders began to pet her trying to calm her down.

Some of the guys hung back and joked around. Natsu and Gray started arguing of course. Erza frowned at them and walked up and smiled, I'm Erza Scarlet. Welcome to Fairy Tail. A girl peeked out from behind her, then stepped forward and bowed, I'm Wendy, and this cat is Carla. Carla primly knodded.

Ann noticed Lex edging behind her. She reached back and took Lex's hand. Squeezed it encouragingly. Nice to meet you Erza, Wendy, and Carla. A tall, skinny girl with an infectious shy smile and short cropped hair came to join them. I'm Mira's sister, Lisanna. It is good to have you here. Come on over towards the bar where we can talk in a more quiet setting. She gently maneuvered them away from the crowd and those who had introduced themselves.

Mira watched them coming over and beamed a happy smile. In her soft voice she greeted them once more, Now that you are a part of Fairy Tail, I suppose I should tell you a little more about us. But you must have had a long trip coming here. Would you like a place to stay here or are you getting an apartment in town?

Lex looks down at Nix, still in her arms. Nix was starting to calm down and Lex boosted Nix back up on her shoulders as she followed Ann and the others back over to the bar. Hearing Mira's question Lex started to think. She didn't really take the time to think about where she would be staying. Looking at Nix who clings to her shoulder. "I think I should probably try to get a place of my own." She looks over at Ann. "Though I'm sure it would be fun if you wanted to stay here." She says smiling.

Ann smiled gratefully. She had been worried about Lex when Lex had tensed up. Even Nix had tensed. The dorm would be fun and all, but I wouldn't mind trying to get my own place as well. Maybe Lex and I could even have apartments across from each other or something.

Mira knodded, Lucy has an apartment in town. I'll get her to take you to see if there are some vacancies if you want. The dorms here are not bad. It just gets a bit... loud... as this bunch is a pretty fun group. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

Lisanna spoke up, I can show them the job board. They will need a steady income if they have their own place. Lisanna was eager to be helpful. She wished she could just make up for all the years she had been gone.

Mira knodded in agreement. That is a good idea. Do either of you have any questions that I could answer?

Lex looked over at the other members of Fairy Tail most of them had gone back to play fighting. Lex quickly shock her head at the thought of living here and then looked back at Mira and Lisanna as they continued to talk. "I don't have any questions I can think of right now." She says looking over at Ann and waited to see if she had any. "I would like to see your job board though."

Ann looked back at Lex and knodded, I wouldn't mind looking either. She turned to Mira, With Fairy Tail's reputation, I'm sure you have plenty of jobs to choose from. Mira knodded and stepped out from behind the counter. Right this way, she said as she led the to the back of the room. A vast large board with all kinds of notices placed on it stood there. Mira began to explain, Guild members usually go in groups to complete a job, though going solo is also common. When you find a job you wish to take on, just let me know and I will send a messenger ahead of you to let the patron who commissioned the job know of your arrival. He will be expecting you and will pay you on completion of the job. Always introduce yourself to the patron and ask a few questions. Generally there are unexpected twists to the jobs that we aren't prepared for. Mira left them to browse through the jobs.

Lex nodded listening to Mira and then stepped closer to the board once Mira moved away and headed back to the bar. "I can't believe how many jobs there are." She mumbled looking over the slips of paper, there were so many they could make up the shingles on the side of a house.

Spotted one that looked fairly easy she pulled it off the board.

Generous reward to anyone who can find and return a missing music box from near by woods.

Lex frowned. "There's no price listed like the others." She says looking back at the board. "But it must be important or they wouldn't of requested help. It must have sentimental value. She said and looked at Nix on her shoulder. "What do you think?" She asked petting her head. Nix made a kind of humming purr sound and hugged Lex's neck.

She nods. "It might not pay anything but I think I'm going to start with this one." She says looking over at Ann. "What do you think you're going to do?" She asks looking back at the job board.

Ann grimaced at some of the jobs. I'm not sure. Here is one wanting help with the special effects at a show tonight. Maybe I can add a water touch to them. It would be enough to cover rent for the month. So I guess it will work, even if it isn't as ominous as yours. She winked at Lex, Admit it, yours is ominous.

She laughed not really getting the ominous vibe that Ann was picking up. "I guess I'll have to wait and see." She saying moving to look over Ann's shoulder at the job she picked. "That sounds like it might be fun." She says smiling at Ann. "I guess we should go tell Mira what we picked and I need to get going." Lex heads back over to the bar and gives Mira the job page she had.

Ann plucked the one she had chosen off the job board and turned with a grin to head towards the bar. Coming up to the counter, she waited patiently as Mira sent a messenger ahead to inform the employer that Fairy Tail had accepted the job. Hey good luck out there Lex. I want to hear all about it when you get back!

Lex smiled and nodded. "Guess I'll see you later." She said to Ann before heading out to the road.

Nix wrapped her tail around Lex's neck and sat up on Lex's shoulder as they got out to the road. "Ready to help someone?" She asks scratching Nix'z head. Nix chattered as if she were agreeing. "I think we should stop by the magic shop and see what they have before we leave town." She said looking at Nix. Nix made a kind of purring sound and looked around at the shops that lined the sides of the street.

Ann handed Mira her choice. Mira grinned and chatted with her as she prepared a letter for the Fairy Tail messenger who was going on ahead to the theater. When he left, she got directions from Mira of how to find the theater and then picked up her bag and went on her way. She walked outside and smiled at the sun-filled sky. It was a great beginning of the day. She belonged to a guild, and would have her first month's rent ready to use at the end of the day. Whistling, she started down the road.

Eventually she came to the end of town and headed down a beautiful, wide cobbled stone street. The trees lining it were manicured with gorgeous flowers walled in by a hedge. Evidently this was a common road, or path, that people took. Soon she reached a park with wondering places to picnic. On a far side was a lovely large pond with some gorgeous birds. In the center of this view is what held her attention the most. A greek styled theater. It was an outdoor theater. She walked to the edge and admired the seats that fell away in rows below to, leading to a well-constructed stage that had an air of authentic antiquity but was set up with modern apparatus' and screens.

Taking her time, she walked down one of the aisles until she reached the stage itself. Completely made of wood, she walked trap doors being tested and levels of curtains being checked over. A large and friendly fellow walked over and raised an eyebrow, "You the Fairy Tail mage who is going to help with special effects tonight?"

After getting all of the supplies she thought she would need Lex headed out on the road out of town. The trip to her mission would take at least three days in good weather, a little long if she had to trek through mud. Giving Nix a piece of dried fruit to chew on she whistled a tune as she passed the limits of the town. She was glad for such nice weather to start her first Fairy Tail mission on and hoped that it was easier then Ann suggested it might be.

Ann knodded, excitement filling her. This was her first job as an official mage. She barely contained her excitement as he broke into a grin and offered her his arm. Placing her long slender fingers in the crook of his arm, she allowed him to escort her to the side where some steps led to the top of the stage. Introducing himself as Mr. Tim, he encouraged her to ask as many questions as she desired. He took her to the center and explained the placement of people and props. His joy in working for a theater were obvious. Obvious and contagious. She excitedly joined him in brainstorming and altering the setup.

After awhile, they went out into the audience for a new viewpoint. From here, they discovered together what exactly the audience would see on the stage. What should be added or avoided. Standing there, with the breathtaking beauty of the forest and meadow surrounding them, a peacefulness stole over her heart. Mr. Tim was a hearty fellow full of good humor and imagination. She found herself truly looking forward to the coming theatrics tonight.

Somewhere faraway, possibly as far as the road, she heard a faint tune being whistled merrily. Faint, but full of life. She smiled at the distant sound. It reminded her of Lex somehow. She wondered if Lex had gotten started or if she was still in town. If she was in town still, it wasn't for long. She had seemed so eager to be off. Hopefully she enjoyed her job posting as much as Ann was sure of this assignment.

Mr. Tim got the attention of several of his assistants and they arranged the actors, actresses, stage hands, and other crew members to start rehearsals. Suddenly, Ann realized that this was going to be more than fun. It was going to be a lot of work. Practicing repeatedly the magic she would use during the performance would drain her own magical energy. Lifting her chin, she headed to the back of the stage resolutely. Better buckle down and prepare for a long day of work. Anything to make tonight a success.

ooc: You can run your story line at a slower pace if you want but I'm going to speed things up a little in mine.

ic: Once Nix finished the fruit she had she chittered and then jumped off Lex's shoulder and into a tree. Lex quickened her pace into a quick run. She wanted to get to her destination as fast as possible and knew that walking the whole way would take to long. Nix followed close behind jumping from one branch to another.

Hours had past now. The sun was high in the sky and the air had turned humid. Nix clung to Lexs shoulder they were both sweaty and thirsty thanks to the heat. There weren't any trees lining the road in this area or Lex would have moved under the shade of a tree to rest for a few minutes.

Pulling a bottle of water from the messenger style bag she wears she takes a healthy drink and then offers it to Nix. The sounds of their empty bellies almost seemed to echo over the empty valley they walk through. "I guess we could stop to eat but I know you don't do that well in heat like this." She said looking at Nix as she spills water over her self trying to get a drink. Lex laughs and takes the bottle back. She holds Nix in her arm like a baby and helps her take a drink.

"Should we stop or keep going?" She asks once Nix had enough water. She helps Nix back up on her shoulder and puts the water back. Nix just stares at her with big almost puppy dog like eyes as their stomachs grumble again. Lex sighs and shades her eyes from the sun and tries to see how much further before they reach the end of this open grassy field. "It looks like it might take a while longer before we find shade again. I guess we could eat something now and rest once we find another tree." She says looking through her bag.

She pulls out a small fabric wrapped package. Pulling the fabric back she reveals a small loaf of bread she rips off a good sized hunk for both of them and puts the rest back. Nix purrs and nuzzles Lex's neck waiting for her piece. "Don't swallow this whole. I only bought so much food and it has to last until I get more money." She says looking at Nix. Nix licks her lips and hungrily stares at the bread. "I mean it! We can't afford to have your stomach take over." Nix sits up and wraps her tail around Lexs neck for stability and patiently waits for her piece of bread. "Good girl." Lex hands over the smaller piece and they eat in silence.

Several more hours have past now and they've finally reached more woods. Nix is much more lively now but remains on Lex's shoulder. A cool breeze has been blowing since they entered the woods making the humidity much more bearable.

Finally giving in to her sore and throbbing feet Lex finds a grassy spot under a tree to rest for a few minutes. "Please try to find some fresh fruit or berries to pick while I check the map." Nix chitters as she jumps down and scampers off. Letting out a breath Lex stretches a little, Nix isn't a heavy monkey but carrying her all this way had given the muscles in her shoulders a work out and it was a relief not to have the extra weight.

With Nix gone Lex makes her self comfortable under a tree and pulls out the map she got before leaving town and tried to pinpoint her location and then tried to figure out how much further they still had to go. It looked like they still had several days of travel left. She sighed and laid back into the soft grass and waited for Nix to return.

(ooc: I was prepared to slow mine down to as much as needed for you. I am good at going fast too so do as you wish and I will set my pace to yours.)

Ann slowly looked over the script. The script was covered in scribbles and marks. She sat on one of the benches that surrounded the stage letting the late afternoon sun fall on her shoulders. The slight breeze was dying down as well. In the next half hour, guests would start coming to the amphitheater and finding the best possible seats. They were already here actually. They sat among the grass in the nearby meadow enjoying supper. When the light started dying, even the stragglers would come over for seats. She smiled at the sight of a few children running and getting underfoot below her. This place was well designed. Enough of sitting there and enjoying the scenery though. She stood and headed down towards the stage. Reaching the same level as the stage itself, she turned and headed round back. This is where she would spend much of the time tonight at.

Reaching the backside. She looked over the large cisterns that had been hastily build and filled for her. They had revamped the play when they had discovered her abilities in order to better use them to impress the crowd. They wouldn't be able to perform this play again without her. Hopefully they didn't rely on her too often for this. She double checked the areas where she would move water to and fro. Then she closed her eyes and focus her energy. Going through some Tai Chi, she loosened her muscles and calmed her mind.

A shout got her attention. She turned and saw one of the cast members waving her over. She turned and walked over. They had set up tables with torches around them further back behind the amphitheater. There was dishes upon dishes of food set out and prepared. She grinned. Nothing gained magic energy like eating. She was an elemental so drinking water helped her. At least she wasn't Natsu who ate fire or anything. She sat down at one of the tables and found herself surrounded by friends determined to enjoy a feast.

Lex woke up and found Nix curled up and sleeping on her stomach. She cursed under her breath, she didn't mean to fall asleep but figured the heat of the day took more out of her then she realized. After waking Nix up Lex gathered up the piles of nuts and berries that Nix had found and then made her way back to the road.

Lex looked at the map she had and guessed that she was had made it to the woods indicated in the map. According to the map the town she had to make it to was on the other side of these woods. She wondered how she could have made it this far so fast according to the map and the job listing it should have taken her a couple of days to a week. Something was definitely off but she decided not to worry about it now.

Hours had past now and the sun was making its way behind the trees and a cool breeze had dropped the humility considerable. Lex and Nix were deep in a forest of trees now. It didn't mater how hard she squinted she couldn't see the end and at one point Nix climbed to the top of a tree but couldn't see the end either. With it easier to move around and simply breath Nix had jumped up into the trees again and Lex was running as fast as her legs would carry her, Nix following by jumping from one tree to another.

The sky was getting dark now and there was still no visible end to the woods. Using her powers to light the area she was checking the map again thinking that maybe somehow she went the wrong way and was lost. While she did this Nix was up in the trees somewhere trying to find the way out.

About five to ten minutes had past and Lex was getting worried because Nix had not come back yet. She wanted to keep her magic fire burning to let Nix know where she was but at the same time wanted to let it burn out because she had the unnerving feeling that she was being watched.

Trying to calm herself she takes a deep breath and calls out Nix's name. The sounds of bushes rustling and twigs snapping only made Lex more uneasy. As it sounded like she was being surrounded a ball of fur seems to throw itself at her. Thinking she was being attacked by something Lex grabbed the furry body and threw it at the ground.

Breathing heavily Nix blinked and just stared wide eyed at Lex. Also breathing heavy Lex kneeled down and held her hand out to Nix. Slowly Nix made her way over to Lex's hand. "I'm sorry. This place is starting to give me the creeps." She whispered petting Nix and then scooped her up and put Nix on her shoulder as she stood up. "Did you find a way out?" Nix shock her head and hugged Lex's neck, her little body was trembling she was scared. "I'm sorry to say this but we might have to spend the night here at this rate." Lex whispered and tried to get Nix to calm down.

Ann dug into the food. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. The cast members were joking around in a jolly manner, though not unlike the guild members back at Fairy Tail. She settled back and relaxed. Fairy Tail had chosen the right town to be set up in. The people here really took care of each other. As the time for the performance drew near, the tables started to get cleaned up and the scripts came back out. The break from the stress of preperformance jitters was over.

Walking to her post on the side of the stage, she did some last minute reviewing of her notes. Then she slowly began to warm up her muscles, stretching her arms from side to side and making sure her back was loosened up. The music groups that were there for the performance had tuned up in beautiful cacophony and were now entertaining the growing audience out front.

Soon the play started. It was a mermaid drama. She provided the ocean out front by containing the water on stage. She also added swirls of water over the stage and lights that she had set up earlier turned on creating a sparkling light effect and aesthetic qualities for the scenes. Keeping the lighting rotating and the water moving was a drain on her multitasking abilities not to mention draining. Near the finale, she used water to create a sort of mirror in front of a large bonfire behind the stage and props that amplified the waving light of the fireplace. That reflecting off of thousands of small droplets of water above the stage and audience creating an extra dimensional effect.

The audience was astounded and applauded in gratitude. As they left, Mr. Tim came up to tell her the results. The play was a success and those in attendance were spreading the word that he could put together a good show. He handed her her payment as well as her portion of the tips the over enthusiastic audience had left for them. She knodded with weariness and as he was leading her towards the tents where everyone was set up, she began to stumble. He quickly supported her and another cast member helped her to the tent she was borrowing for the night. She didn't even remember laying down.

After another hour of walking it didn't appear that Lex was any closer to the end of path. Stopping she turned to look back the way she came. The path was dark, to dark really, it looked like the darkness was swallowing up the path behind her it was more then creepy. Nix was now fast asleep on Lex's shoulder. As Lex continued to look down the path she came from she thought she could see something moving.

Jabbing Nix's leg Lex turns her full attention to the darkness behind then. Nix yawns and stretches as she gets up. Forming a fireball Lex throws it into the darkness. The fireball lightens the darkness showing some of the trees and path that they had past. But after a about five yards the light ball just disappeared. "Did you see that?" She whispered to Nix trying to squint against the darkness. Nix sat up and wrapped her tail around Lex's neck.

"Watch the ball..." She whispers creating another fireball and throws it into the darkness. Like the one before it, it lights up the path and the trees but this time disappears after about four and a half yards. They both jump a little. "It's got to be some kind of spell..." She whispers backing away from the darkness. Nix starts to shiver and grabs at Lex's hair. Turning back around she looks back down the way they were headed. "Do you trust me?" She whispers looking into the darkened woods.

Before Nix has a chance to do anything Lex pulls her off her shoulder and hugs her tight against Lex's chest and then runs off into the surrounding forest.

Ann woke up the following morning tired and starving. It wasn't even light yet. Dawn was approaching though. The birds were happily declaring it. She slowly pushed herself up on her elbows and hung her head. There was a slight headache there that was waiting to burst into full bloom. She sighed and very slowly worked her way up into a sitting position. Resting her hands on her thighs, she held herself up. Then slowly stood. Walking outside, the cool air brushed against her face. She walked over to the dying fire and added wood to it. Another crew member who was also awake walked over and quietly got a tea kettle going. She gratefully sank into a chair and waited. It wasn't long before golden beams burst across the sky. She looked up at them in appreciation. She wanted to go get an apartment today. Getting paid was so wonderful. Maybe even pick up another job. That would depend on what was on the board. She hadn't looked over them very carefully. It would be fun to browse them now that she had the basic necessities met. She sat there leisurely enjoying her morning. She wondered what Lex and Nix were up to. She gratefully accepted a cup and tea and breathed in its scent.

Running from the path and squeezing Nix against her chest it wasn't long before a dizzy feeling pushed its way into Lex's head. Slipping on something that felt squishy and slimy under her boot she hit the ground hard but continued to squeeze Nix. Terrified from whatever Lex was running from Nix did her best to hang on to her friend.

After a minute Lex worked her way up onto her knees. Her head was spinning and she felt like throwing up. "Don't let go of me..." Lex mumbles squeezing her eyes shut and tries to give her head a chance to recover. "It's some kind of magic wall..." she says breathing heavily.

Nix's little body falls to the grass Lex quickly scoops her up and tries to get back to her feet. She only manages a few steps before she loses her balance again and falls over. Within a minute the dizzyness filling her head wins and Lex passes out.

Drinking in the delightful tea, Ann felt some energy returning to her body. Last night had been exhausting but fun. She let the sweet liquid slowly chase away the headache that always accompanied her the morning after a heavy magical workout. The sunlight slowly filled the air as dawn approached. Soon others in the theater group started to rouse and get up for the day. They looked as weary as she felt. Some of them started to get together good in order to make a light breakfast. No one wanted to work hard after the play last night. She slowly got up and went to assist one of the groups. Soon there was a roaring fire built up with food cooking over it. Soon hearty tales were being passed around along with observations from the night before. Ann listened to them with joy. It seemed her antics found their way into the tales in one form or another, and always exaggerated. That brought a grin to her face. When the food was done, she helped herself to a plate of food and went to sit down by the fire. She dug in feeling happier already. Perhaps she would take on another job when she got back to the guild. She wondered if Nix and Lex had reached their job yet.

The feeling of a small drop on water hitting her face was enough to stir Lex. As she started to move and get up she quickly stopped as the dizzy feel rushed back to her head again, this time followed by a heavy wave of nausea. Not able to fight it she quickly gets rid of whatever was sitting in her stomach and then forced her self to crawl away from it. The smell would only make her sick again. Remembering Nix before she got to far Lex scooped her up and crawled several feet away before collapsing again.

After a while of just laying there breathing Lex forced herself to get up. The dizziness was still holding strong but she knew if would only continue and maybe get worse until she found a way out of this. Forcing her way to her feet Lex slowly dragged one foot in front of the other using trees to steady herself. "I'm going to get us out of this...I promise." She whispers hugging Nix's small limp body against her.