Other mermaids never meant much to Nixie. She never considered them her sisters or her family. Nixie always put more stock in her own interests rather than the pods, despite their view of putting the pods' needs first. Nixie’s beliefs always starkly contrasted that, so she abandoned her pod when she was fifteen without a second thought, believing she was better off alone. At least by herself she wouldn’t have to worry about being scolded by the leaders of the pod. Nixie simply liked herself better than anyone else.

Her pod had warned her about the world above, and that most humans meant harm and with them, that meant all mortals. Nixie never really believed her pod. Nixie always believed there was more than traveling one place to another in fear to be discovered. The pod never could understood why she wanted to leave. It was curiosity, however that really was just her arrogance. She never thought a simple human would be able to overpower her, and they couldn’t most of the time.

Nixie lived on land for another year before she was discovered by humans that weren’t particularly friendly. They weren’t really hunters. They didn’t want to kill her like most hunters did. They wanted her, to keep her like a cow and milk her for Aquamarine; her tears. They found her, however they weren't able to capture her. She had fleet feet on land and in the water she was even more swift. Water dancer, they called her. At least, one of them called her that, once. Nixie thought the name made her sound beautiful and deadly, just like she was convinced she was.

While running, she stole, scavenged and used her body to get what she could to survive. Food, shelter. Nixie was able to go all across America and it suited her, she liked traveling, but the whole time, the hunters were on her tail.

One by one, the group that was chasing her gave up. There was just one that continued to run after her, one man who was convinced that he needed her. The game was fun at first, but she was getting a bit tired of it. She was approached by a woman, a professor from Gringore Academy and offered safe place there. Nixie was always someone who tried new things and so she took the woman up on her offer.

After a month in Gringore as a student, she left once again. This time, the man that was hunting after her, Matt, found her and captured her. This time she was more desperate need to escape. Nixie managed to escape from his grasp with the cost of the man's life. However, she did not care. Nixie just wanted to get back to the place she was going to finally settle, Gringore.