Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail
When Nab finally woke up in Fairy Tail's guild hall, everyone had already returned. He was a bit groggy, and everything about him just felt weak. For some reason, he was lying down on the floor. What had happened? Then, it hit him. He shot upward, his eyes wide as he remembered Zeref arriving at the guild hall. He remembered Loke, Lucy, Natsu, and Levy attempting to face off against him. Then, Nab had done the stupid thing of trying to help. He should have known that he would fail yet again at even the simplest task of activating his magic, let alone using it in a fight. He hung his head low, closing his eyes as he clenched his hands into fists by his sides.
Someone seemed to notice his movement, walking towards him almost immediately as Nab tried to collect himself and think about exactly what he had done. "Hey, looks like you're finally awake." Loke's calm and collected voice drifted towards him, making Nab stiffen slightly. At least they weren't harmed, then. "We've been waiting to talk to you, actually. After all, as the one who created that portal out of no where, we were kinda hoping you knew where it went."
Portal? Nab couldn't make portals. It just wasn't within his branch of magic to do so. However, if an animal spirit in possession knew how to do so, he supposed it would be possible. "Portal?" He frowned, staring at his hands. "I don't remember making a portal…"
Two hands gripped his shoulders, startling Nab. "Please, Nab. You have to remember this. Whatever you did to Zeref, it ended up taking Lucy, Levy, and Natsu too." That was why he was worried. Of course, Loke was only concerned for Lucy again. The thought made Nab's throat feel thick, before he swallowed and took a deep breath. It did him no good to be jealous, especially of the one who owned Loke's key.
"I'm telling you, I can't do something like that!" He pulled back, rising to his feet. "You know my magic…you know how difficult it is for anything to suit my abilities. Sending someone away with some kind of teleportation magic…that isn't the kind of job I'd try and take on." Then again, he'd been so desperate that anything could happen. He couldn't say for sure what he'd done.
Sighing, Loke rose to his feet as well, pressing his glasses further onto his face. "Damn. Then what are we supposed to do next?" The lion spirit seemed to pause, glancing back towards the others. A few seemed to be turning towards them, noticing Nab now that he had risen to his feet. "Sorry for sounding so angry with you. It's just…this was somewhat of our only plan for getting them back. As the one who sent them away, only you know where they could have gone…and how we could possibly get them back."
It was a job…only he could manage? Nab bit his lip, glancing at the others. What animal spirit had he called upon? Even that much was difficult to recall. Heck, after so many years of not practicing, he could hardly remember which spirits he even had. The obvious ones like wolves and bears were easy, but the more obscure ones were lost to him. "I…I'm sorry. I really am a worthless member of this guild, aren't I"?
"Don't say that, Nab." Loke sighed, shaking his head. "I know you can figure it out if you just try. You've done incredible things before, after all. Now, you just have to pull off another amazing feat and we'll be all set. After all, aren't you technically the one responsible for getting rid of Zeref when we no one could stop him?" Loke gave him a smile, making Nab feel warm. Loke had faith in him, unlike everyone else. That faith was part of why Nab wished to be by his side whenever he could.
Closing his eyes, Nab tried to at least focus within himself. Maybe he could find the spirit just by feel alone, though he wasn't certain about his luck. As he tried searching, however, the doors of the guild hall burst open. "Not again…" Max spoke, looking tense as he stood deeper in the guild.
Master Makarov moved towards the doors, his expression grave as he walked. "It appears as if the Twelve have gathered together…or at least the majority of what remains of you have."
Behind Nab stood a group of wizards, all with intense magical auras around them. He could feel the pressure their power exerted on the air, especially from the elderly man among them. That man's gaze seemed to slide towards Nab, before pointing towards him. "That is the one with the aura I felt before. Deal with the others and I shall take care of him."
Wait, what? Nab was a threat? He couldn't understand why. However, he did back away, shaking his head violently at them. "You…why would you want me?"
"Because, dear, you are the one who needs to bring back his majesty." The scarlet haired girl spoke, smiling in amusement as she moved to stand by his side. "Now, are you going to stand in our way, or are you going to actually be intelligent enough to surrender for once? We won't harm you if you give us what we want."
Frowning, Loke moved to stand by Nab's side. "And from the sounds of it, what you're looking for has actually changed." Irene simply smiled, not denying or confirming his claims. "To be honest, I think that might be a good thing for both of us. See, our interests are now aligned for the time being. Not only did that spell take your emperor, but it also took a few of our members with it. We'd like to retrieve them as well…so it might be in our best interests to establish a temporary truce now that Zeref is away from this world."
Walking forward, the blue haired man with glasses approached with a frown. "You suggest a ceasefire? We are merely servants of the empire. Despite what you may think, we have orders to finish this war at all costs, even should his majesty perish in the fight." This was news to them, news which made Nab swallow as he tried to keep his distance from their group.
Someone else slipped inside the guild behind them as the conversation continued on, but Nab disregarded them for now. "Yet these unforeseen circumstances may change things." Master Makarov walked forward, looking serious as he gazed up at Invel. "We know it is too much to ask for a complete end to the war. As much as I'd like to say we'd only assist you if such an event occurred…it would be unreasonable to ask so much with your true emperor still alive, just out of reach. That is why this truce will not be breaking your orders in any form. A simple halt to battle, as temporary as it may be, is enough for us to work together for the time being."
"Jeeze, this is sounding boring already." The short haired blond spoke, shaking her head. "I was thinking we'd get an interesting fight, but I was more entertained with those two kids than I am here." Kids? The only child Nab could think of fighting in the war was Wendy, and knowing she had fought one of these monsters did not sit well with him. Wasn't she weak like him too?
"Ah, but it is a part of human nature to desire such a means for survival. How beautiful to hear them beg for our mercy…" Larcade smiled serenely at them, tilting his head.
"Yet again, his majesty desires a swift end to this war. I cannot promise you that we will—"
"Can't you guys shut up and listen to him for a second?" Fairy Tail's members blinked in surprise as Sting spoke, arriving from behind them. "He's offering you the assistance of the wizard you came here to freaking take by force. Wouldn't it save you some time if you just agreed to his offer? I mean, based on the fact that you've abandoned every battle you were in the middle of at the moment, I'd assume this has taken priority for you. If that's the case…this ceasefire, as you call it, will be your fastest path to resuming your stupid war."
Folding his arms behind his back, the winter wizard turned towards Sting with a calm gaze. "Perhaps. August, what are your thoughts on the matter?"
The elderly man shrugged, pressing his staff into the ground. "Considering the circumstances, it may be a wise decision. His majesty does give us the freedom to decide such things for ourselves in his absence. Upon hearing our reasons, he should be capable of understanding our decision."
Listening in thus far, Nab was beginning to feel distinctively uncomfortable. Why were they all so interested in him in the first place? He didn't want to work with these people, but the guild master seemed to think it was a reasonable course of action. "Emperor Spriggan will not be pleased…but we are acting in his best interests. I suppose it depends upon which scenario is preferred — one in which his majesty is satisfied, yet out of our reach, or one in which his majesty is returned safely and irritated." Irene summed it up fairly well, but Nab found himself shaking his head at them.
"Aww, it looks like our little helper isn't all that fond of us too." Dimaria grinned at him, catching the motion and moving closer. "He's going to be fun to mess with, don't you think?"
"No! I don't…I mean, if Master says we are working together, I can't argue." Nab rubbed the back of his head, biting his lip. "I just…I can't understand why you are even after me in the first place."
"Because it is you who sent his majesty away, of course." Larcade smiled at him, moving forward as Invel glanced towards his companions and lowered his gaze. "Invel, I do believe the decision as been made. I am in agreement with August on the matter…my father's anger is far easier to deal with than the lack of his presence in this place."
"Yet you are not accustomed to his anger being directed towards us." Invel sighed, shaking his head. "However, I suppose there is little to be done to avoid such tedious matters. As always, I live to do whatever is best for his majesty and his goals. If that means putting his war on hold to ensure his safety…then that is what we shall do. Fairy Tail, to clarify our agreement…we will halt our advance on Fiore completely, and recall our troops beyond the Spriggan Twelve during the duration of our truce. Fairy Tail, in return, will grant us access to its resources and wizards in order to investigate, and reverse, the spell which was cast upon our emperor. Upon reversal, his majesty will be returned alongside of your members. That will not be negotiable, even if you believe it to be favorable to abandon him in his current state. Back out of this, and you shall be facing our full wrath, rather than this simple game of cat and mouse we currently play at."
The members of the guild began sharing looks with each other. From the expressions on Max's and Warren's faces, it was clear that they were not fond of the idea. However, Makarov was the one leading these negotiations. Nab didn't even know why he suggested working together on this. Then again, could they have really withstood an attack from four of the Spriggan Twelve at once? Perhaps it was their best option at the moment for survival in this war. "Once a wizard of Fairy Tail accepts a job, it is our policy to see it through until the end." Master Makarov spoke, holding his hand out towards August. "That is what this truce will be treated as in our eyes. Send out a message to your troops, and I will have Warren do the same for ours."
August nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. Nab didn't see what was going on, but he heard Warren's mental voice calling out to all Fairy Tail members, ordering them to cease battle. The news of the truce between both sides was spread to all of them, yet Nab couldn't help but shiver as he met the cold gaze of Invel. "Now, we are already aware that this member here is the one responsible for their disappearance. Reversing the spell should be simple enough, given the fact that you were able to effectively attack someone as powerful as his majesty."
Nab glanced towards Loke nervously, while the celestial spirit narrowed his eyes. "Actually, we were already discussing that before you arrived. Nab isn't exactly one of our strongest members, despite what you may think." Nab hung his head, aware of his reputation. "That doesn't mean we won't help you, but it'll take more time than you might think for this to work."
"You speak as if he cannot undo his own spell." August spoke calmly, frowning at Nab. Those dark eyes studied him closely, before he sighed and shook his head. "Based on appearances alone, I assume you are not used to active work. What style of magic allows you to maintain enough funds through wizarding tasks while not battling others with your skills? It intrigues me to find something as odd as this."
Glancing towards Makarov, Nab wondered if he really should keep talking about this. The short guild master nodded towards him, making Nab sigh and step forward. "Um…I haven't exactly been doing wizard work. You see, I've been waiting for the perfect job to arrive at the guild…a job that only I can do…" He trailed off, using his common excuse that he gave everyone. However, that only made August narrow his eyes further. "See, my parents made a fortune off of patents from new magical devices…they were responsible for that ring that lets wizards change the color of their outfit on a whim. So, I don't really have to work if I don't want to…"
"A wizard that doesn't use his magic…managed to land a spell on Emperor Spriggan?" Irene looked shocked, her eyes wide as she gazed at Nab. Even the normally stoic Invel seemed stunned by Nab's declaration.
Moving forward, Sting smiled at him and chuckled. "Well, that's surprising. I never thought we'd be saved by a wizard I've never even heard of from this guild, let alone one that hardly does any jobs. You must have some pretty powerful magic then."
"Not exactly…my magic isn't something I use a lot, after all." Silence filled the guild, while everyone stared at him with mild glares. He was annoying them, wasn't he? That seemed to be all Nab ever did, after all. "But…not many people use my form of magic…it actually can be rather diverse, depending on—"
"Hold it. Are you joking with us?" Dimaria glared at him, rushing forward and glaring into his face. The small girl might not have looked threatening at first glance, but Nab felt like she towered over him despite their actual difference in size. "A weak ass wizard, taking on the most powerful guy in Alvarez. And you don't even attempt to learn your own magic…so you are actually pretty clueless about what you yourself can manage to do?" She snorted, shaking her head. "I'd say this is a waste of time. August, I think this is going to be a job for you to deal with then."
Nodding in agreement, August glanced towards the man and sighed. "I am inclined to agree based on my current observations. Nab, was it?" Nab nodded, wishing he was smaller like he used to be so he could shrink away from everyone's gazes. "If you would be so kind, I'd think we'd all benefit from seeing a display of exactly what it is your magic can do. If necessary, I can bring us to a more open space to avoid damage to your…what remains of your guild hall." Glancing around, Nab realized that there really wasn't much left to worry about wrecking in this place. However, he also didn't have much he could do to just demonstrate his power. It wasn't something he ever tried to do, and there was no telling what would happen the next time he tried letting a spirit possess him.
"Um…well, that might not work well." Nab rubbed the back of his head, smiling nervously as he tried to avoid their gaze. "You see, animal possession magic is actually intended to let me lose control of myself for a moment…and without practice, there really is no telling what kind of instincts will be driving me when I let the spirit take over…"
"Animal possession magic?" August spoke, frowning and glancing towards Invel. "Now I see. That magic seemed so odd and unusual…because it did not exactly come from a wizard. Perhaps I was incorrect as to my initial assumption…" August's brow furrowed, before he shook his head. "I will be of little use, it seems. This task will not be as hasty as I expected it to become."
"Oh, you can certainly do something." Irene smiled, folding her arms over her chest as she studied Nab. "After all, I know you are aware of a decent arsenal of tracking spells, August. Simply locate the missing individuals and take us to them. It would avoid this tedious truce as well, wouldn't you agree?"
Lowering his head, August sighed. "And you think I would not have attempted such things when I first noticed his absence?" He focused on Irene, narrowing his gaze. "Do not take me for a fool, Irene. I've seen enough to know that something is blocking my tracking spells. More accurately…it is as if they are finding nothing. Even if his majesty had truly perished in this attack, I would at least be able to locate his body. This odd nothingness is akin to if he somehow no longer existed at all."
What? Nab couldn't fathom any spirit that could erase anyone's existence. He shook his head, violently disagreeing with the idea. "My spirits can't do something like that…I'd think I'd remember taking on one of that nature at the very least." Frowning, he tried thinking back to the more obscure creatures he'd encountered. Taking on an animal spirit was not like takeover magic. It required the wizard to develop a bond with the animal in question, to almost befriend it and overcome that boundary between two completely distinct lifeforms and unite as one. "The ones that I've taken on that can use magic…" Nab trailed off, looking towards one of the walls as he tried thinking of which one he had utilized. "Well…I can't remember. But none of them could do that!"
"If you couldn't remember, why'd you even try speaking up?" Jet called out from behind him, making Nab cringe slightly. However, by his side, Loke seemed lost in thought at the dilemma in front of them.
"Then what else could cause the tracking spells not to work?" August smiled as if amused with Loke's comment, shaking his head.
"That is the mystery we are currently pondering, is it not?"
Thinking about what little he knew of his own capabilities, Nab joined the silent thoughtfulness of the odd group of gathered wizards. This wasn't their typical problem solving team at all, but it was better than nothing. Nab idly wondered if the others would return and make this situation easier, given the fact that they were used to this kind of pressure unlike him. They'd know the answer in seconds, while it could take him days to unravel exactly what he'd done. However, as he looked towards August, he did have one idea in mind that might work. After all, didn't he know of at least three species animals capable of teleportation magic in his possession? Was it too much of a stretch?
Taking a deep breath, Nab tried to make his voice sound at least a little confident in his theory, despite his near-certainty that he was wrong. "Maybe I sent them to someplace like the celestial world." Loke blinked at him, shaking his head immediately.
"Not possible. They wouldn't survive there for long, and not anyone can open up the pathway to that world."
"Ah, but it does not necessarily have to be that particular realm." August glanced towards Invel, tilting his head slightly. "Other worlds do exist, apart from our own. I can recall an encounter from long ago relating to such a location…and considering the nature of the tracking spells I am capable of utilizing, I would believe they would be incapable of stretching beyond the boundaries of the world we know."
"But…I probably can't do that…" Nab rubbed the back of his head, dropping his gaze.
"But you were the one who suggested it, idiot!" Dimaria was quick to get irritated, grabbing Nab by his hair and jerking his head up to meet her gaze. "As it stands, you've gotta take the time and figure out what your stupid magic accomplished. All this talking is doing is telling me that right now, you are the only chance of figuring out what actually happened. And if that's the only hope we have…well, we might as well give up on this farce of a truce right now and kill your weak guild for taking away our emperor."
The threat made Nab gulp, trying to lean away from her intimidating glare. "I…well, I didn't mean to say—"
"Yes or no, did you send them to another world?" Dimaria did not let him finish.
Moving towards her, Sting grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "That's enough. We're not going to get anywhere by threatening Fairy Tail, even if Nab can't seem to manage his own magic." Sighing, Sting ran a hand through his hair. "Tell you what…Sabertooth is going to start looking into the various abilities of the magical species we know of. We know something about what to look for, at least, so that should give us a guideline of what kind of spells might have done this. I suggest that you do the same, Dimaria, because there's no point in interrogating a man that can't answer your questions."
She huffed, glaring at him and shaking her head. "You're no fun at all." Sighing, she moved to leave the guild. "If you guys find anything entertaining to do, or any news on Emperor Spriggan, you'll find me back home. I'm done with this stupid mess you've began, and I'm tired of dealing with idiots like them."
"Dimaria, we cannot simply—" Invel began, but she was already gone. With a sigh, the winter general returned his gaze to the guild, shaking his head. "My apologies for her harshness. Dimaria has always been a bit…hot-headed and impulsive. When things do not go her way, she often throws pointless tantrums like this that do little beyond interfere with our work." Focusing on Nab, Invel frowned. "I do believe it might be in our best interests to follow the lead of this other guild. Considering your own ignorance of what has been done, we will at least be able to discover exactly what spell was activated in this room by studying the lifeforms we are aware of and their abilities."
"Sounds good to me." Loke glanced over at Nab, shaking his head. "Come on, Nab. It looks like we've got some research to do in the library. While we're there, at least try to remember some of the animal spirits you posses, alright? It could really help limit our search." Without anything more useful to add, Nab silently followed after the celestial spirit, feeling as if he really had let everyone down. Why was it that when he thought he'd finally managed to accomplish something, it all turned out wrong? Maybe it was just another reason why he really wasn't suited to being a wizard. Maybe he shouldn't have let his desire to remain near Loke keep him here. After all, little beyond disaster followed his every action, and right now, he was only proving how useless he truly was even when he tried to help.
And we've got a temporary truce back in Earthland! Nab is such a strange character to try and write as a main character...there is so little of him seen in canon that I really can't say a whole lot about his characterization. I do hope what you've seen thus far has been believable based on what we do see, at least. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!