Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

When August pulled Loke away from researching with Nab, he knew something was weird. Usually, the elderly man had been pushing Nab these days. Almost every time August stopped by, it was to suggest a training session for Nab with him. Like usual, Nab refused, insisting that he should first learn what that animal really was. If that was pushed against, Nab would say he needed to figure out its habitat, or what kind of abilities it truly had. Overall, Nab still seemed reluctant to actually try using his magic. However, he had made a few small steps forward.

Right now, Loke was going on a little over a month in the mortal world. He still felt just fine, and if he was being honest, he had hardly noticed the time passing. Today, however, August was changing his tactics. Inside of Fairy Tail's guild hall, Loke stood with August. At first, his presence had created a lot of tension inside. However, over time, the Fairy Tail wizards seemed to have grown used to seeing members of the Spriggan Twelve visiting on occasion. While it was rare to see some of the more aggressive members such as Irene or Dimaria, the calmer members would often stop by to help on occasion. Typically, that limited them to Invel and August, with Larcade coming on even rarer occasions. From what he had seen, Larcade and August didn't get along well, but no one bothered to make many comments on the odd tension between the two wizards.

Behind the bar, things continued as usual. Mira smiled at them as a greeting, but moved on quickly to serve drinks to the table where Wakaba and Macao were sitting. Gray was next to Erza and Wendy, still an odd sight without the rest of their team. With Natsu gone, fights were far less common on the guild hall and things just seemed almost too calm for their usual antics. "I'm sorry for pulling you away from your research. I understand that Nab believes it to be of the highest importance, after all."

Nodding, Loke glanced towards August with narrowed eyes. "It's fine. We weren't really making much progress anyway. Even knowing what this thing looks like…it isn't an easy animal to find, and Nab still doesn't feel comfortable trying to call that spirit out again without knowing more about it."

"That is to be expected." August frowned, looking over at the guild members. "Are the others assisting still? It appears as if normal guild activities have resumed. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they are moving on rather than fighting to retrieve your companions."

That was another issue. Too much time made it too difficult to keep everyone focused. "They don't have much of a choice. They have to make a living somehow…and right now, this is all they know how to do. We can't spare every wizard to work on this. Unlike Nab, most of them don't have a massive inheritance waiting for them back home that allows them to stop taking jobs for years on end."

"And you are a celestial spirit, so you have no need of material possessions." August frowned, before letting out a sigh. "I came to you…because we've recently received a message from his majesty, along with one of your own companions." That wasn't possible. Loke became still, glancing at him with wide eyes. "They claim to be trapped in another world, a world with limited magic by the name of Edolas. However, that lack of magic prevents them from returning to this world, and as such, they are relying on us to bring them back."

"Edolas…I've heard of that place. Fairy Tail was once dragged into that world before because they were trying to steal away the magic of this world." Loke frowned, trying to remember how that ordeal ended. "From what I heard, they lost the last of their magic at the end of that trip, when Fairy Tail reversed the process to get back."

"His majesty claims magic is still in existence in that world. I have no doubt that he is correct, as there was no other way for him to contact us." Loke had to agree, but it still didn't sit well with him. How did Edolas get any magic back after that? "To further our ends…I've come here upon his orders. He has agreed with our truce, and even on his end, he is working with your guild members to return. However…he wishes for Nab to train further in his ability. Our current assumption is that this animal spirit in his possession is native to Edolas, rather than Earthland. As such, we will find little to no information on it here."

"And you are explaining this to me? If you want him to train, Nab's the one that you have to—"

"I'm explaining it to you because Nab only listens to you." Loke became quiet at that. It wasn't really true, was it? Sure, Nab had seemed rather content to research harder with Loke around, but that was also because he had finally found some kind of confidence to rely on for this task. He had figured out what that animal was to some extent. That had pushed him, but had it really been Loke's words that reminded him of that? "He will not be…willing, to cooperate with me. That much has become clear over the past month. So, I wish for you to ask him to train. Do so yourself, and see if he will listen to you. If not…then I suppose I will resort to his majesty's method of choice to reason with him."

"This wasn't what Zeref asked you to do?"

August shook his head, frowning. "His desire is to have Nab begin practicing magic. However, to persuade him into such a task…no, this was not what he had in mind. I've taken a suggestion from your allies in Sabertooth by approaching you, rather than Nab today. However, if this fails…I will not disregard his majesty's wishes. I will do as he asks, and pass along his message to you."

A message? Loke didn't quite know what this message was, but he figured it wasn't good. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I can try, but I won't make any guarantees. Nab still isn't all that confident in being able to pull this off, you know."

"Ideally…I would like to observe your training." August surprised Loke, making him raise his eyebrows at the elderly man. After a moment of silence, August nodded and continued on. "That is how my magic works. Observation is key…and if I simply see him manage this spell once, that will be all we need to move forward. He need not master his magic. Even if by mistake, simply activating that portal once more would suffice."

"That doesn't sound all that different from you training him." August's expression did not change. "Fine. Like I said, I'll talk to him. Just…wait here. If I can manage it, I'll get him to come with us to try something at least."

Really, why did August think he could do it? No one knew Nab, not even him. Sure, he probably could have at one point in time. Nab brought him to this guild, and he was even Loke's first partner on a job. He chuckled at that memory, recalling how foolish he had been at the time. There had been a rumor spreading about some celestial wizard coming to town, and Loke had panicked over someone figuring out the truth. He had grabbed Nab because he was the closest person to him when he went to the request board, and he hadn't let the other wizard refuse. So, they had gone on a job together, a job to stop some wyvern from terrorizing a town a little ways away from Magnolia.

Really, the job itself didn't stand out in his mind. It had been simple enough, and much like with the strange monster at the church he had been at after Karen's death, Nab had taken charge with the animal. It had been raging and out of control, but Nab seemed to have been determined to succeed. That odd red glow without form around him had taken over, and for a moment, Nab had seemed to be stronger than any person could possibly be. When the wyvern charged again, Nab had been prepared and fended the creature off. Nab had looked so stunned, but Loke hadn't thought much about it until the ride back to the guild.

"You know…I was going to quit the guild before you dragged me out here like this." Loke had hardly been able to believe it. This man had advocated for him to join Fairy Tail, and now he wanted to leave. "I'm terrible at jobs…every time, I find myself injured. After that last one with the mountain vulcan showing up out of no where…I figured I should quit before it killed me. But maybe…maybe this is all it takes." He had an odd smile, looking pleased as he focused on Loke. "I just need to find more perfect jobs like this one…ones that I can accomplish no matter what because they are perfectly suited to my magic."

Even back then, Nab had lacked confidence in his ability. Yet, he had fought so well against the wyvern. Why wasn't he able to see that he could handle himself on jobs? Still, Loke hadn't been so willing to speak up considering his lack of experience at the time. Instead, he had smiled faintly and chuckled at him. "Well, I hope you find more jobs like this then. I'd hate for you to just get up and leave after I finally found a place where I can forget about my past."

He had thought they'd be close friends. Even now, part of him wished that he had continued trying to push for that with Nab. Still, Nab never seemed to be the kind of person to need that sort of thing. "Really? You think…that Fairy Tail actually needs me around?"

"Of course it does." Loke had smiled at Nab, seeing the man's wide eyes staring at him in shock. "Just take a look at what you've just done. Do you think any wizard could have taken on a raging wyvern like that and won? I definitely couldn't have handled this one on my own, Nab. Maybe you have some bad luck when it comes to jobs…but you should try finding a partner and going on more like this, just to get yourself more comfortable. Then, you could handle almost anything on your own in no time."

Loke had just said the words he thought would help. Nab had become rather silent after that, looking thoughtful. After a moment, the animal possession wizard had focused on him, frowning slightly. "Maybe you're right. Still…why were you in such a rush to go on a job back there? Are you really that afraid of celestial wizards?"

"Sure am." Loke forced himself to keep his smile, not looking at Nab. He couldn't talk about this, not so soon.

Still, Nab had an odd innocence and curiosity about him, one which sounded genuine and caring rather than just like the others who would probably make fun of him for the truth. Heck, even without the truth he had been mocked for his knee-jerk reaction to the news. "Why? I mean…they aren't all that different from any other wizard, right?"

This had been the friend to bring him to Fairy Tail, the only one other than Makarov that had seen him feeling so dejected. Considering the fact that Loke wanted him to be his friend in this guild, he had thought it would be best to tell him the truth. Nab was the only person who he considered that with, and afterwords, he realized it was cruel to do so. "Can you keep a secret from the guild, Nab?" The other man had seemed confused, but nodded in agreement.

"No one asks me for anything anyway…so I doubt they'll even think I know anything."

"I'm…not a wizard." Loke had hung his head, clasping his hands together in his lap. "To be completely honest with you…there's a reason I was in that church, waiting to die. See…I'm a banished celestial spirit, Nab. Once my magic fades away, my life force will go with it…and without returning to the celestial world, I'll end up dying here. I'd give myself maybe a year before that happens." He had been wrong, but that had been his assumption at the time based on the time it took for other spirits to fade away from existence.

Nab hadn't been able to respond. The other wizard had remained in a shocked silence for the rest of the ride, and Loke regretted revealing the truth ever since then. If others couldn't handle knowing he'd be dead, then he'd hide it with a smile. He'd enjoy what little life he had left, and as a result, he became a jokester, always flirting and laughing with anyone he met. Loke had hoped Nab would talk to him, so he would have at least one person to confide in other than the guild master, but the other wizard had become a recluse again. That had been his first and only job with a partner, and since then, Loke had wondered why Nab hadn't taken his advice and at least tried going on more jobs.

Now, Loke stood back inside the library, watching Nab research. If they had drifted apart, why did everyone seem to think he still had any kind of influence over the other wizard? Nab glanced up towards him, smiling and waving. "Hey, did August finish talking to you?" Loke nodded, moving towards Nab with a slight frown. "That was odd. He usually wants to bother me about training more…but he just doesn't understand that I'm not suited to that kind of work."

"He…he actually wants me to train you now." Loke shrugged, sitting down across from Nab at the table. The other wizard blinked in surprise, his eyes widening. "August seems to think it would make you more comfortable, since we're both in the same guild. He's thinking that you keep refusing him because of his connection to Zeref, actually." It wasn't exactly what August had said, but Loke figured that was the intent at least.

"No! I'd never judge someone for that…I mean, I'm certain he has his reasons…" Nab trailed off, frowning for a moment. Then, he sighed, shaking his head. "It's just…I'd fail him so quickly. I always disappoint people when I try…and I know, we talked about this before. I really am trying to move forward…but that is just too much."

"Who cares?" Nab looked towards him, while Loke shrugged. "You haven't used magic in years. Of course you're going to make mistakes. Heck, I don't think I could even manage the ring magic I used to use when I first joined Fairy Tail, and I've had even less time away from it than you have."

Blinking, Nab looked at him for a moment before turning away. "But…they want results now. They keep asking for me to hurry…"

"And that's their own fault." Was that really the issue? Sure, he could see why Nab felt rushed. August was rather demanding in his own way, despite being a rather calm and reasonable old man. Invel, however, was the one that really seemed to make Nab nervous. When Invel came. his attempts to help came out like demands and made Nab almost too terrified to act. "Look…as I said before, he wants me working with you. Do you really think I'd try and rush you for success, Nab? I've worked with you once before, so I know a little bit about what your magic is like. Plus, I am a spirit of sorts myself…so I mean, that has to help for something, right?"

Nab was quiet, staring down at the table. "You'd be training me?" Loke nodded, while Nab bit his lower lip. "Would…would the Alvarez members be there? I…I'd rather not have Invel watching me…and Larcade just…seems rather creepy, to be honest."

Loke couldn't help but agree on that account. Despite being calm and reasonable, something about Larcade just seemed unnerving. That oddly angelic smile seemed to hide something dark in his eyes. "August is the only one I've heard that wants to watch. He doesn't want to intervene, Nab…he just wants to observe. They probably just want to be kept up to date on our progress, after all."

"Then…then I think I'd like to try." Loke stared at him, stunned. What happened to all of his fight against the idea? For two weeks, August had been pushing this. Every time, Nab had obstinately refused. Still, Nab smiled weakly at him, rising to his feet. "I'm not really getting anywhere trying to find information on this animal anyway. I thought we might…but I guess it really will just take practice to get to know what this spirit is capable of."

Joining him, Loke forced out a smile. He didn't understand what was so different about him training Nab as opposed to August. Still, the other wizard seemed oddly pleased with the idea. "Hey…Nab?" The other wizard paused, looking at him. "Are…why did you change your mind so quickly? I mean, I thought you were rather against this idea until you knew more."

For a moment, Nab was silent. He quickly turned away, but Loke thought he saw the man's cheeks turning slightly pink before he did so. "I…uh…it's just more comfortable with you. Like you said…you're the only person in the guild who has really seen my magic at all. So…that makes it better. Plus…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head. "I thought we'd be good friends at one point in time. So…I'm rather glad that you're willing to spend more time with me…even if it is just to get your key holder back."

Since when? Loke must have missed something since that job. He hadn't spoken a word to Loke, but considering Nab's personality, he could see why. Even if Nab wanted to be friends, he wouldn't go out and talk to anyone. He'd wait for someone to come to him. Smiling, Loke shook his head and patted Nab's back. "You know, I thought the same thing. Looks like we're getting the chance to catch up finally, right?" Nab looked startled, his eyes wide as Loke walked towards the guild hall, away from the library. "It'll be just like old times. Though…maybe we won't try practicing on a wyvern first thing." Nab let out a brief laugh, slightly nervous but bright. Loke smiled, moving back towards August to give him the news. Maybe this time, he wouldn't let Nab just fall into the shadows again. When all this was over, he wanted to keep his friend, the first one to bring him to Fairy Tail and the only guild member to know what he truly was from the very beginning.

And we're back to Nab for a little bit. I realized over the last few chapters that I may have forgotten to include a content warning about this story. There will likely still be mentions of suicidal thoughts, death and other darker themes as this goes on (it tends to happen in stories where I write Zeref). I will try to remember to give warnings at the start of chapters where it is particularly bad, but I may forget so I wanted to mention it now. Sorry for not mentioning this sooner, as I keep forgetting to mention something about it in my new stories. Please review and tell me what you think!