Chapter Three

chapter three

Exhaust burned in her lungs as Roxanne strained to catch the bus, jumping over the curb lithely as she stretched her legs as far as she could. Before her, Nicole, Melody and Jacob were on the bus, waving back at her through the glass at the rear of the vehicle. Their lips were moving so Roxanne knew that she shouldn't be able to hear what they said, but their words still traveled to her ears clearly.

"It's your fault you'll be late." That was Nicole's voice, as gentle as ever but the reprimand still stung. Roxanne knew she responsible, and to be reprimanded by Nicole hurt much more than the words ever could. "You shouldn't have turned off the alarm."

"Now you'll be late and you only have yourself to blame," Melody said. Her voice was wispy like a cloud, disappearing quickly into the background. "But we won't be late because we got up on time."

"How can you expect to be worthy of my love if you can't even wake up when you're supposed to?" Jacob asked harshly, the question cutting Roxanne to the quick. She stumbled as her brother hurled her greatest fear at her, making her wish to bleed so her pain would have a physical form. It didn't matter that the real Jacob would never say such a cruel thing, that this was a dream. Her brother's words still hurt deeply. "You'll only be a burden to others if you make them wait for you. Haven't I taught you anything?"

"Wait, please! Jacob, come back!" Roxanne shouted as she got up and raced for the bus once again. "I promise I won't sleep in again, so please don't leave me. Jacob!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched the bus turn a corner and her friends and brother faded from sight, leaving her alone once more.

Heartbroken, she slowed and fell to her knees. "Please. Don't leave me," she sobbed and covered her face with her hands.

"Roxanne!" A strange voice called out. "Roxanne, wake up!"

Roxanne jerked awake as her mind forced itself to awareness, wrenching Rox away from the dream and into real life in the space of a heartbeat. "I won't sleep in again, I promise!" she shouted, not yet recognizing the change from dream to reality. Then she blinked, awareness setting in as she saw Lucy's startled face to her left. "Morning," she whimpered as she started crying again, still shaken from the nightmare.

"Oh, Roxanne." Frowning in sympathy, Lucy sat down and hugged her. "Shh, shh, it's alright," she said gently, stroking the younger girl's hair as she cried herself out.

Once she was able to wipe away her tears, Lucy handed her a bottle of water and a box of tissues, which Roxanne quietly accepted.

"Thanks," she whispered as she blew her nose and threw the tissue in the trash, then uncapped the water bottle. "I'm sorry I cry so much."

"You don't have to apologize," Lucy assured her patiently. "You've been through a lot, and crying is the body's way of adjusting to things. So cry all you need."

"Thank you. That's really kind of you." Roxanne nodded, feeling reassured. She wiped her eyes again and jumped out of bed, determined to not let her old life upset her new life anymore. The past was in the past, and the time for grieving was over, at least for now. Today, she had to focus on becoming a mage and joining Fairy Tail, living her dream to the fullest. There was no room for distractions. "Where are Natsu and Happy?"

"They're downstairs in the restaurant, eating lunch."

Lunch?! Did I really sleep in so late?

As if seeing Roxanne's thought in her eyes, Lucy replied quickly. "You've had a hard few days, so Natsu and I decided to let you sleep. It seemed cruel to wake you, so we decided that we could always catch the next train."

"Oh… You didn't have to do that." Rox mumbled, feeling another rush of gratitude and shame. Once again, she'd held up the group. They could have been in Magnolia by now! Lucy would be a part of the guild now, and Rox would know what her future would hold, and the anime would continue. But instead, they were still in this hotel. Why? Because Roxanne had needed the sleep… and Lucy and Natsu had been kind enough to recognize that, and thoughtful enough to be okay with the delay.

Roxanne felt tears coming to her eyes again. What a foundation for a friendship she was laying with them; nothing but lies from her while they were nothing but kind to her. "Thank you."

Lucy smiled in a 'You're welcome but it'd be crass to say it this time" sort of way, and then she took a breath, thus ending that conversation.

"Speaking of lunch, you should come eat."

Roxanne nodded her understanding. She knew she needed to eat, but the dream had left her without much appetite. "When does the train leave?" She would eat later.

"Not for another few hours," Lucy assured her. "We wanted to make sure that Natsu would have enough time to digest some of his lunch first."

Roxanne gave Lucy a puzzled look, knowing that she shouldn't know about the Salamander's motion sickness yet. "So, can I take a shower?" she asked. "I'll meet you in the restaurant afterwards, I promise."

"Of course you can take a shower, but I don't mind waiting." Lucy smiled at her. "I'd rather wait then risk you getting lost."

"I'd rather not keep you waiting. My mom always said that keeping people waiting for you was rude. Besides, if I get lost I can ask for directions," Roxanne insisted. She really didn't want Lucy to wait for her. Her dream had scared her, and she didn't want anyone to wait for her ever again.

"Well, alright then," Lucy conceded doubtfully. "If you're sure. I'll be at the restaurant." She stood and made her way to the door.

"Thanks, Lucy," Roxanne said as Lucy smiled and closed the door. Rox nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

When she was done, Roxanne made her way downstairs. One look at a directory sign told her that trying to read the plaque would be a wasted effort, since it was written in the runic language Fiore used, rather than English. Whatever magic let her understand people talking, and let them understand her, it didn't extend to the written word, so she was forced to find the front desk and ask directions from the clerk. Thankfully the lady was quite happy to help and before long Roxanne was sitting down next to Lucy at the restaurant bar.

"I ordered you the same thing we had last night. You seemed to like it. I hope that's okay." Lucy smiled as Roxanne sat down beside her, nodding.

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks, Lucy." Roxanne responded, easily hiding her discomfort. Last night's dinner had been composed of some kind of sauce, an animal that resembled an octopus or a squid, lots of bread and various strange-looking fruits on the side. Roxanne was not eager to eat that meal again now that she was not literally dying, but she would eat it regardless because this was the food of Earthland. She would not find any food from her world here, so she needed to swallow her discomfort and eat.

That's not to say that she didn't still struggle to keep the food moving past her teeth. She'd done alright the night before�"near-starvation had done wonders for her appetite despite her disgust�"but now it wasn't so easy. She had to suppress the urge to shiver in distaste as she stabbed a tentacle with her fork. All her life she'd been taught to eat whatever she was given without complaint, since hiding one's distaste was an essential skill for any upper-class family. So that was what she did. She closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath and held it so she wouldn't smell the food, and then shoved the forkful in her mouth. She winced as the 'calamari' touched her tongue, but she didn't give in to her instincts. She chewed and swallowed quickly before she could analyze the flavor and texture.

Allowing herself to shiver now, she took another breath and repeated the process, unaware of Lucy watching her. They ate in silence until Natsu and Happy's noise interrupted their thoughts. Both looked over at the boys and frowned.

"Jeez, Natsu! Do you have to eat like that?" Lucy shrieked, ducking behind a menu as some food came flying at her. "We've got plenty of time before the train gets here, so you don't have to rush."

"I'm not rushing." Natsu mumbled with a mouth full of food. "I'm just hungry."

"But it's rude to throw food and to chew with your mouth open. And it's just unsafe to eat without chewing in the first place!" Lucy retaliated, and Roxanne had to agree. One of the first things she'd been taught when she was little was proper table etiquette in a variety of settings. For this hotel, which seemed to be middle-class, it was acceptable for her to eat with her elbows on the table and to use her utensils a bit more carelessly than usual. But no matter the setting, eating like Natsu was sickening.

"She's right, Natsu. Eating like that is really gross." Roxanne said with a frown.

"So what?" Natsu asked. "I mean, we all have our own ideas about food. Look at you. You can barely tolerate the squid, and yet you're eating it."

"I'm eating it because I don't want to starve.”  Roxanne accentuated, not raising her voice in volume but making her point known using her tone. “And I doubt I'll find any food from home, so I have to learn to at least tolerate what's in front of me. But what you're doing is sending perfectly cooked, germy food flying, which is going to make someone sick. And you're chewing with your mouth open, so everyone has to see you chewing, and it's gross and it's going to make someone throw up." It certainly wasn't helping her keep her own food down. "Really, didn't your parents teach you about manners?"

"His parents?" Lucy asked, and Roxanne cringed. She'd said too much. Oh crap!

"If you mean Igneel, he taught me about different cultures, theories and other stuff, but he never enforced manners," Natsu said simply, his mouth still stuffed with food.

Roxanne turned her attention back to her own meal.She pondered Natsu's response, remembering that Natsu once summarized the lessons Igneel the fire dragon had taught him. Manners had not made the list. Was it because Natsu had not deemed that information worthy of being repeated when he was new to the guild, or had Igneel never taught him? Or had Natsu simply forgotten?

Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, she sighed and turned back to her food, noting in the back of her mind how very Gray-like she must appear to be right then. "Whatever. I guess if it was that important, someone would have taught you by now. Sorry to be so mean, Natsu. Let's just say bad manners are a pet peeve of mine."

Natsu shrugged, not offended. "It's cool."

After that, the meal continued in a kind of haphazard peace. Natsu and Happy continued their antics while Lucy and Roxanne scooted further down the bar to avoid the flying food. After a while, Natsu and Lucy paid for the meal and the group went back upstairs to gather their belongings. After that, Roxanne and Happy left checking out up to the adults, preferring to venture outside and play. Roxanne made a game out of chasing Happy around, who didn't fly too far out of her reach nor too high, teasing Roxanne with the tip of his tail. The whole village could hear Roxanne's laughter as she chased Happy in circles, and Natsu and Lucy watched on quietly from the train platform. They watched as the child who had already seen so much destruction chased a flying cat as if she didn't have a care in the world. They watched as she was able to put aside her worries and fears, and just be a kid. The sight made Lucy smile, and Natsu tried to hide his own as well but there was a light shining in his eyes that matched the radiance of Lucy's smile.

When Roxanne heard the train whistle and raced to the platform, she could have sworn she saw tears in Lucy's eyes as Natsu smiled in a way that she hadn't seen before. This baffled her, but she brushed it off as the train whistle blew again. Seeing the train now, she squealed and ran around a bit more. For her, this was more than a train in front of her. It was the beginning of her new life, the beginning of a dream that's finally coming true.

The train pulled to a stop and Roxanne was the first one onboard, racing to an empty pair of seats and quickly claiming the window view. Lucy sat down beside her, while Natsu and Happy sat down across from them. Roxanne couldn't help but notice the green tint in Natsu's skin.

Just a few moments after that, the train whistle blew once again and the train began moving. Simultaneously, Natsu gagged and collapsed to lay prone on the seat. While Lucy commented about Natsu's motion sickness, Roxanne just watched the country roll past them, happy beyond measure.

"Lucy, how long will it take until we get to Magnolia?" She asked for a few minutes.

"It should be about two and a half hours." Lucy replied, digging in her bag for something.

"Aww! That long?!" She pouted but quickly sighed and resigned herself to the wait. "Well, guess I might as well get some sleep, then." She curled up on her side, feet braced against the side of the train, knees turned toward Natsu. She lay down and wriggled a bit, trying to get comfy on the too-hard bench, but was soon asleep. Happy watched the little girl and quickly joined her, curling up next to her stomach. Lucy smiled at the picture for a few moments then she turned her head and spent the next two hours writing a letter.

Lucy woke Roxanne and Happy almost three hours later as the train finally pulled into the Magnolia train station. Because she'd been in a deep sleep, it took Roxanne a bit of time to wake up and comprehend where she was. Once she had, though, she raced off of the train and waited not-so-patiently on the platform while Lucy and a Natsu-ridden Happy followed. Roxanne bounced on her toes, aching to run around and get some of this energy out of her system. But she didn't complain too much as they waited for Natsu to recover, then they set off for the guild together. Roxanne, however, raced ahead of the adults about twenty meters before she turned tail and raced back to them to make sure she was going the right way, only to turn around and race back toward the guild. Happy laughed and joined her in her game, flying along beside her. Again, Lucy and Natsu watched the girl and the cat play and the crowd also parted for Roxanne. The mothers smiled as they watched, the children cheered and a few of the younger ones ran with her while their older siblings watched with their parents, and some of the fathers just watched. A couple of them smiled and laughed, a few were silent but moved out of the way, while a few more made their bodies into obstacles, intending to play along with the children. Roxanne was happy to dodge around these adults, testing her physical limitations and agility.

By the time the trio made it to the guild hall, Roxanne was quite thoroughly out of breath, but she couldn't be happier as she gazed at the building before her. She was stunned into silence. After all, here was concrete proof that she was where she'd always wanted to be, that her life was more than manners and fancy dresses. Here, she would find friends and a true family, find a new meaning for her life. Here, she could be anyone she wanted to be. And she burned with her desire for this opportunity.

She looked at Natsu and smiled. She was ready. He nodded and walked calmly to the door.

Then he took a breath… and kicked the door in.

Lucy was stunned at Natsu's violence at the defenseless, undeserving door, but Roxanne just rolled her eyes and followed Lucy inside the guild as Natsu launched himself at one of the guild members, thus starting the brawl that never failed to make her laugh. Feigning fright, she ducked behind Lucy's legs and watched as member after member got pulled into the fight. She almost lost her mind when she found Gray and had to stop herself from running to Loki to hug him, and she so badly wanted to stand beside Elfman and mime his lines and mimic his movements.

Restraining herself was a challenge that became even more unbearable when the ground shook, marking the entrance of a shadowy figure that was as tall the guild hall itself.

"Would you fools stop bickering like children?!" The figure yelled, and the entire guild hall froze. Well, except for Natsu. Roxanne and Lucy watched as Natsu laughed at his frozen comrades, boasting about how he must have won. His laughter was cut hilariously short as the figure's foot landed on him. Roxanne cowered behind Lucy's legs a bit more as Lucy also recoiled in fear.

"Well, seems like we have two new recruits." The figure growled as he turned his attention to Rox and Lucy. It was then that Roxanne truly got an idea of how large he was, and she felt even smaller than usual. She grew nervous and swallowed heavily as she tried to rally herself, reminding herself that this is Makarov! He was big now, and he sounded ferocious, but that was an act he rarely put on. He wouldn't hurt her unless she proved herself to be a threat to the guild, so there was no reason for her to be afraid. However, no amount of reasoning to stem the apprehension that was now flooding her mind. Looking at the behemoth, she felt so very small. She felt like a fly compared to this guy before her. One massive finger could easily crush her. With a squeak that wasn't entirely faked, she ducked behind Lucy.

"Yes, sir!" The girls responded, Lucy's voice was tinged with surprise while Roxanne's voice held a couple notes of fear.

Then, without a response, the shadow growled again and he began to shrink. He went from two stories tall to about two feet tall, which shocked Lucy heavily and Roxanne was fascinated by the change. Even though she had been expecting it, and knew that this particular man was far more powerful than he seemed, Roxanne still stared curiously at him. It also helped that the fear went away so she was able to let her real self shine through.

"Nice to meet ya!" The old, short man greeted them, raising a hand in hello.

"Hello," Roxanne replied as Lucy replied in a… rather rude manner. "He's tiny! This little guy's really in charge here?"

"Of course he is!" Mirajane chirped. "Allow me to introduce the Fairy Tail guild Master, Makarov."

Unfortunately for Lucy, Makarov didn't stay to greet her. Instead, he turned around and jumped to the second-floor railing on the far side of the guild. Or, well, he tried to. He didn't quite make it. But he recovered quickly and soon faced his guild.

"You've gone and done it again, you bunch of clots!" He yelled and held up a stack of papers.

"Just look at the paperwork the Magic Counsel sent me this time! This is the biggest pile of complaints yet! Have you lost your minds?! All you kids are good for is getting the higher-ups mad at me!" He practically shook with his anger, and the whole guild looked remorseful.

Makarov growled, breathed for a second, and spoke once again.

"However," He spoke in a less-angry tone, though his displeasure was still clear. It was completely gone with the next sentence, though. "I say to heck with the Magic Counsel."

In the next instant, he had set the pile of complaints to flame and casually tossed the flames into the air. A moment later, Natsu leapt into the air to catch the flaming papers in his mouth.

"Now listen up! Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right?" Makarov asked, and Roxanne stepped out from behind Lucy's legs, mouthing the speech silently.

"Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flow of energy in the natural world are in perfect synchronization. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your very soul! If all we do is worry about following rules then our magic will never progress! Don't let those blowhards on the Counsel scare you. Follow the path you believe in. Cause that's what makes Fairy Tail number one!"

To accentuate 'Number one!', Makarov thrust his hand into the air, his pointer finger extended as the back of the hand faced the guild. A moment later, the guild hall erupted into a cacophony of cheers and whistles as each and every one of the members copied their Master's hand sign. Roxanne did as well, not at all caring that she wasn't accepted into the guild yet. She was celebrating along with the guild, so a technicality like that wasn't gonna stop her!

"Well, I guess I've found my answer." She whispered to herself as the crowd began buddying up, the aura of togetherness still thick in the air. "Anyone who can focus and has a strong mind can learn magic. So, that's what I'm going to do."

I'm going to learn magic so I can protect this guild from the dangers that are approaching. I'm going to become a wizard of Fairy Tail and make this guild my home and family!

With the cheering dying down, Makarov approached Roxanne and Lucy again. "So, you two want to join the guild, huh?"

"Yes, sir!" Roxanne replied again, just as happily as before and with more determination. However, she looked disappointed."But I'm not sure if I technically can. I'm not a mage." She adopted a determined, 'nothing's going to stop me' face and posture, and it showed in her tone of voice. "But I really want to be. Before we came here, I was on a mission to find out how a person becomes a wizard. I had a lot of conflicting sources, but you gave the answer to me loud and clear, sir, so please let me stay for a while so I learn magic!" She begged the Master, growing nervous as Makarov stayed silent. Finally, after what felt like years, he smiled.

"I like your spirit, my dear. I can see your desire to fulfill your dream, and you seem to have the dedication needed to help you overcome any troubles you may encounter. So, I'll tell you what. You can stay for as long as you wish, and you can train with me while you discover your magic. Once you have, I'll let you join the guild officially and you can choose your mentor if there is someone here who shares your magic. But, let me warn you. Finding your magic is not a simple task for those who seek it as you do, but working for it will make gaining the magic even sweeter. As with anything, learning something new takes work and time. You need to be prepared to handle this, young one, for the journey is long and hard."

"I understand, sir, and I promise I'm ready."

"Very well, then… oh! I don't think I caught your names before?"

"I'm Roxanne, sir, and this is Lucy. Lucy wants to join too."

Lucy nodded determinedly and Makarov smiled, sizing her up instantly. "Yes, I can see the same fire in your eyes, Lucy. Welcome to Fairy Tail, you two."

"Yay!! Thank you so much, sir!" Roxanne cheered and hugged the man. Above her, Lucy thanked Makarov just as eagerly as Roxanne. The man smiled, enjoying the attention.

A few minutes later, Makarov sent Lucy to Mirajane for her guild stamp while he continued his discussion with a now-teary-eyed Roxanne.

"Since you can't take any jobs yet, I'm going to let you stay in one of the apartments upstairs. And you can live there, rent-free, until you start taking on jobs. Once you do, you'll be expected to pay rent like everyone else."

"Yes, sir. What happens after that?"

"Well, with a source of income, you can decide if you want to move out and get your own place, or if you want to stay here."

"That sounds fair, sir."

"And I take it, judging by your lack of possessions, you don't have any money on you?"

"No, sir," she whispered, immediately saddened. "I did have a fair amount of money and just a few possessions, but I was robbed."

"But I'm going to fix that, sir." Lucy interrupted, appearing silently behind Roxanne and making her jump in surprise. "I was going to take her shopping as soon as we finished up here."

"That's very sweet of you, Lucy." Makarov praised Lucy, to which the mage just chuckled.

"It really is, Lucy, but are you sure?" Roxanne asked worriedly. "I mean, I've already been enough of a burden. I'd hate to put you out even more."

"It's fine, Roxanne," Lucy assured her. "I'm happy to help! I want to help. And if it makes you feel better you can pay me back once you start making some money of your own. Okay?"

"Okay, then." Roxanne felt better for that last bit. She didn't ever want to be a burden to her new friends. "Thank you very much, Lucy!" she smiled.

"Now, then, Roxanne. You've got enough on your plate for today. Please spend the rest of the day getting settled in, and be sure to get plenty of sleep. Your training starts at seven am tomorrow." Makarov reclaimed Roxanne's attention.

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir!" Roxanne replied and hugged the old man once again. "I promise, sir, I won't let you down." She whispered in his ear before she broke off and rushed to Mirajane.

It didn't take long for Roxanne to select her apartment on the top floor, and Mira also gave her a keychain to hang her key on. She accepted it, clipped the key to the keychain and then clipped it to one of her belt loops. She smiled happily and hugged the white-haired woman. Lucy, Natsu and Happy came over and each of them got hugs as well.

As Roxanne broke away from Happy, a few other guild members came over to greet the newcomers. She had to stop herself from rushing to Gray, the urge to run up to him and declare her admiration was so strong. Somehow she stopped herself and instead smiled at him.

Natsu did the introductions, since he and Happy were the only wizards the two groups had in common.

"Guys," He began, addressing his fellow members of Fairy Tail. "This is Lucy and Roxanne. Lucy, Roxanne, this is Gray,"

The black-haired, bare-chested wizard stepped forward to shake their hands. "Yo. Welcome to Fairy Tail." Roxanne could almost feel her heart beating in her chest, beating so quickly that she thought it'd stop from exhaustion.

"Thank you!" The girls replied, Roxanne said a bit breathily.

"Elfman, Mira's brother," Natsu introduced the big, muscle-y mage.

"Nice to meet ya!" Despite his size his smile was kind, and his huge hand was very gentle when he bent down to shake Roxanne's.

"And Macao and Wakaba." Natsu finished the introductions with two of the oldest wizards in the guild, though they didn't look like it yet. Macao was a bit taller than his partner, dressed in a white jacket with a black undershirt underneath. He had tan skin and blue hair. Wakaba, however, had a pipe in his mouth, and his brown hair was shaped into a protruding… log, maybe? She had no idea what to call it, but it was seen only on Wakaba.

"Hi, ladies." Wakaba greeted them, and Macao pushed his half-flirting friend aside. "Welcome!"

Roxanne giggled. "Nice to meet you!"

Thirty minutes later, the girls left the guild hall and made their way to the port side of the city, where the markets were located. Well, it seemed to be more like one huge marketplace with restaurants and storefronts tossed in, but it was an adventure in and of itself. The anime hadn't shown much of the city so it was fun for Roxanne to build up a more accurate mental map of the city. However, she still clung close to Lucy because there was quite an enormous crowd and the street wasn't very wide so everyone was crammed together. It would be so easy to lose a companion in the crowd, so Roxanne stuck quite close to Lucy.

The first place they stopped at was a clothing store for kids, where Lucy bought Roxanne two jeans and five shirts�"Lucy had insisted on the last two shirts, absolutely convinced that she needed to have enough clothes to last her six days so she would be forced to wash everything on a timely schedule. Also, Lucy claimed it would make it easier for her to pack should the situation arise. Roxanne tried to refuse those two shirts, but she let Lucy have her way since she was the one buying the shirts and because she'd been so very helpful thus far.

The jeans were simple, one black and one white denim pair, and the shirts were quite varied. One of them was a bright blue color and had a chocolate brown pattern on the front, which Roxanne was ecstatic about. She loved how those two colors naturally paired, so she tried to wear such combinations. The second shirt was white with a cyan, purple, and pink floral design. The third shirt was solid white, meant to pair simply with the vest she was currently wearing. The fourth shirt had the same purpose but it was more of a purple color. The fifth shirt was pink with a purple bedazzled butterfly on the front, and on the back it said 'Cute but Fierce,' which Roxanne found to be really amusing. Lucy also realized at pretty much the last second that Roxanne needed pajamas, and pretty soon there were two sets of warm, fuzzy pajamas, a nightgown, a bathrobe and slippers on the counter. Roxanne's head spun with how much she was being gifted with, and the jenny that it was costing Lucy. She thanked Lucy profusely, but Lucy just waved it away, saying she wanted to help Roxanne get everything she needed to be comfortable and that if it made her feel better, then Roxanne could pay her back when she could. Of course, Roxanne was already intending to do just that, but she still appreciated Lucy saying it was okay. She much preferred having permission to do something, instead of doing the thing only to find out that it's not wanted or appreciated.

The second store was a book and magic store, where Lucy bought several reams of plain paper, a stack of envelopes, several quills and an inkbottle for herself. For Roxanne, she bought a journal, one book - the kind little kids use in school to learn the local language - and another ream of paper, two quills and an ink bottle. The journal was simple enough, but what Roxanne treasured was its presence. With it, she could write down every thought that crossed her mind, every fear or hope or dream. She could also keep track of the date and where in the timeline she found herself. It was a place, the only place, where she could forget that she was pretending to be someone she wasn't, where she could be an average girl from a privileged family who was sucked away and dropped into a fictional world that apparently wasn't so fictional. It was a place where she could strip away her exterior and truly be herself. It was her coping mechanism.

Lucy sensed that, when she saw Roxanne looking at the journal she now held in her hands. She watched the girl for a bit, watched her stare longingly at the book, and gently, silently, took it and placed it in her basket. Roxanne understood immediately and Lucy could almost swear the sun was right there in the girl's face because her smile was so bright.

The book was to help Roxanne learn the language she was surrounded by, and the paper would serve as a place for her to practice her writing without messing up the journal with the mistakes she'd surely make.

The third place they stopped was where they bought the bulk of their items. Both needed shampoo and conditioner, Roxane needed a hairbrush and hair accessories along with body wash, a body scrubber, toothbrush and toothpaste, and laundry detergent. Lucy needed makeup. She also bought them a fair amount of sweets in case they got what Lucy called 'the munchies' late at night.

As the girls continued on their way, now scouting the areas beyond for candidate apartments for Lucy, Roxanne was careful to keep her eyes peeled for the apartment that Lucy would later rent, the one by the canal with the bridge nearby and the teasing but neighborly worried older men in the boat. Roxanne also emphasized the flaws in the other prospects, praising the highlights sparingly. She wanted to encourage Lucy towards the waterfront apartment because that's where Lucy would be, and Roxanne wanted to preserve the timeline as much as possible so things wouldn't change and so she could then anticipate what was happening.

They didn't find the apartment that day, so Lucy bought a blanket and a pillow from a home goods store and the duo made their way back to the guildhall to settle in for the night. First they ate a hearty dinner, which thankfully agreed with Roxanne much more than the lunch from earlier, and they socialized until the sun had left the sky. Then they climbed the stairs, making their way to Roxanne's apartment.

She had deliberately chosen an apartment on the top floor because she wanted the exercise that will come from climbing all of those stairs twice a day, and because there would be only silence above her when there might not be had she chosen a lower floor. Also, she didn't anticipate being in the apartment that much, so she figured whoever was below her would appreciate the silence above them.

The apartment was small compared to Roxanne's parent's mansion, but it suited Roxanne well. She liked how compact and close, and yet spaced out it felt. It came with a twin-sized bed with a brand new mattress�"apparently she was this apartment's first occupant�"and a kitchenette with fridge and freezer, a full-sized bathroom, a wardrobe for her clothes, a desk and one window above the bed.

Looking in at the small space, Roxanne smiled. This was her place. Her apartment above the Fairy Tail guildhall, and she couldn't be happier. Smiling, she and Lucy agreed that Lucy could take the first bath while Roxanne put away her new clothes, set up the desk and started writing her first entry into her journal. She was careful to not leave out any memory or detail, and she wrote in her native language so that no one else could read it�"the runic script here was completely different, and if she couldn't read it, then they couldn't read English. Not that she was worried about people deliberately invading her privacy, but she knew that Natsu and Gray, and even Erza and Happy didn't have much respect for personal space. So she wanted to not take any chances about anyone finding out who she really was, and wrote in a language that she was quite fluent in and they weren't. That way, her secret would be safe.

When Lucy got out of the bath, Roxanne took the comforter off of her bed and placed it on the floor a respectable distance away from her bed, to mark where Lucy would be sleeping this first night. Without a word, the two switched places, Lucy fixing up her bed and writing her first letter while Roxanne took her bath.

The bathroom was styled interestingly. Roxanne had seen a public-sized version of this style in anime before, a public bathhouse where each person had to shower first before they got into the communal tub or hot spring. She quickly decided that she liked seeing it here, meant for one person. It suited her, she decided, since she could decide if she wanted just the shower if she was in a hurry or if she wanted both a shower and a bath after a long, hard day. She smiled and got undressed, opting to use both this time.

An hour later, she dressed in one of the new pajamas, her bathrobe was hanging on the pole by her head with the slippers right where her feet would be tomorrow morning. She slipped herself under the sheets and sighed in contentment. Her hair was washed, her teeth were brushed, her skin was clean and smelled good. She could sleep now, and she did.

She was asleep within five minutes.