Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Nab hadn't really been expecting to go on a job so soon. With the repairs for the guild hall, and with the way Lucy had been in Edolas for quite some time, he thought the celestial wizard would be worried about her rent again like usual. As a result, he had assumed he'd have more time to practice and get familiar with his magic again before leaving. Now, with the sudden shift in plans, he really was just as weak as he had been moments ago with his powers. Still, Loke was going with him and he'd even been considerate enough to take a simpler job like this one. From what Nab could tell, it would likely be a quick one, once they arrived. He probably wouldn't be skilled at sensing out the magic of the object when they got there, but he could still search manually for anything that looked strange.

The other thing about the job that he hadn't noticed until recently was that it was nearly eight hours away from Magnolia. That meant a very long train ride…with someone he was still incredibly nervous around on even the best of days. "Seems like this job was further away than I thought." Loke spoke, frowning as they took their seat on the train. "Still, the others seemed more complicated, so I figure you still prefer this one, right?"

Nab nodded, looking at his lap. "Yeah…I still haven't had much time to train again…" Though, he doubted it would help much anyway.

"Right. That probably means you're out of practice in even sensing for magic auras too…" Loke trailed off, frowning for a moment. "We'll manage, I guess. It's not like I can't try to do the same, but celestial magic doesn't always work the greatest for things like this. We spirits might be able to sense wizards, but objects…they have a different feel, one that usually isn't easy to detect to us for some reason."

"That seems odd. What is so different about a magical object compared to a wizard?"

"An object is more like an active spell. I think that has something to do with it, at least." Loke shrugged, looking out the window. "We will have one stop on the way to the actual ruins, too. The person giving out the job is in the nearest town…but from what I've heard, that's still about an hour's walk away from the actual location. It was a hiker that sensed the aura, but when he told the town about it, merchants became interested in what it was. Basically, the ruins are believed to be the homes of students who attended an abandoned magic academy from years ago."

That made sense, but Nab frowned. "Then…why would the ruins still have any enchanted objects left? I mean…if it was years ago, you'd think someone would have already found everything there. Most treasure hunters sweep areas like that really well…though I guess you did mention that treasure hunters avoid this area for some reason too…"

Nodding, Loke smiled slightly. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean it isn't unusual still." He shrugged, folding his arms over his chest. "The way I see it, there's one of two things that happened. Either this object seems so mundane that it was easily overlooked…or it was so powerful that whoever created it did everything they could to hide it away."

"Oh…I think…I think maybe the second option?" Nab bit his lip, shaking his head. It still sounded like a question, despite him feeling like the logic made more sense with the second. "I mean…treasure hunters avoid that place…so I think there's at least something there to scare them off." He rubbed his arm, feeling his nerves start building. His stomach was doing flips, and suddenly, he was very concerned about the outcome of this job. "Protective spells can be…violent sometimes, right? And even misdirections…wouldn't both keep them away? So, someone protecting the spell makes more sense…which means this might not be a good job for us after all…"

"I told you before, we'll figure something out." Loke shook his head, leaning back in his seat. "We did last time, after all. Every wizard ends up on a job they're not suited for eventually. Really, they just give you a chance to see how creative you can be with your magic. In this case, we'll likely be focused on just avoiding those spells. We want to get into these ruins and out in one piece. So, it'll be about moving around correctly, rather than deactivating any active spells in the region."

That didn't sound so bad. Nodding, Nab bit his lip and glanced out the window of the moving train. "Right." He paused, wondering what else to say. Really, why did things have to be so awkward now? It was all his fault. "So…did you get to catch up with your spirit friends?"

Shrugging, Loke leaned back. "I guess. I'm not usually…all that close to them. I mean, sure I do get along with Aries, but that's more so because we're old friends and we were both Karen's spirits." He smiled, chuckling to himself. "Aquarious…can be a bit forceful at times, and to be honest, I prefer to be by myself or in the mortal world these days. After being banished for so long…it just feels strange, to be back there for any long duration of time."

"I guess that makes sense." Nab smiled to himself, glancing out a window. "It'd be like a wolf that found a new pack…trying to return to its old family. Maybe they'd be allowed back in, but it just wouldn't have the same role that it used to within their hierarchy." He saw Loke frowning at him, making Nab lower his head and try to make himself shrink into the seat. "Right…sorry, I said something weird again, didn't I?"

"I've heard worse." Loke frowned, sighing. "Besides, I should kinda expect it from you. With your magic, of course you know a lot about animals."

Nodding, Nab looked back up to meet his eyes. "Of course! I've studied them a lot, growing up. See, this magic was passed down throughout my family, so we all learned how to identify species of animals on sight at a young age. From there, we covered behavioral patterns and how to read the body language of the more common species nearby…"

"Did they just have you read about all of this?" Loke crossed his arms over his chest. "That just seems…like a really boring way to learn magic, no offense. I mean, I get needing background to understand it…but magic is also about life, and just having fun sometimes is also good to help you relax."

Thinking back, Nab paused for a moment. "Well…I don't think it was always books." He frowned, trying to remember. "We went camping once…and I think we tried hiking…but I nearly drowned in the lake at the campsite…and then I broke my leg after tripping on a tree root while we were hiking…" He trailed off, frowning for a moment. "After that…I don't think we went outside all that much."

Loke laughed, startling Nab. "Seriously?" He kept laughing for a moment, and Nab felt his cheeks heat up. Really, didn't Loke already know about all of his injuries on jobs? "I can't believe you really started having your bad luck that long ago. Did you ever manage to avoid injury back then?"

"Not really…usually, my parents took trips without me after those first few…"

Loke's laugher stopped at that, his smile fading as he glanced out the window. "So…you were alone." Nab nodded, biting his lip. "I guess we really aren't all that different, then."

"That's part of why I wanted to help you…back then." Loke glanced towards him, while Nab rubbed the back of his head. "You just…you looked a lot like you'd given up already. A part of you had already lost hope…and when I stared at you, I saw the person I was going to become. I realized…that I didn't want to be that alone. I didn't want to feel so afraid and so unable to move forward that I'd just let myself waste away and die. Still…I had no idea what to do anyway, so I guess it didn't really change much for me…despite making me want to encourage you to do what I couldn't."

Shaking his head, Loke looked away, shifting his weight in his seat. "Maybe. I did feel pretty useless back then…" He sighed, closing his eyes. "Nab? Why didn't you try and convince yourself like you tried to convince me? I mean…it sounds like you could've had more friends at the very least if you had."

"Because…I never can." He shrugged. "I've tried. I tell myself I'm improving…but then I screw up again, or someone tells me I'm still weak…and I just find myself back here." It wasn't so bad, though. Getting out of the guild hall wasn't a hugely excited adventure anyway. Nab only did it because he had to, in order to go home.

"Sounds like that's something you need to work on, then." Nab only blinked at him, uncertain of what he meant. "You won't always have someone there to tell you that you're getting stronger, Nab. Sometimes, you have to learn to tell yourself that it's okay to screw up…especially in your case, when you just can't seem to help your own bad luck."

"And you need to work on relaxing and letting go yourself, too." Loke looked startled, his eyes widening for a moment. Nab kept his gaze focused on the window, not wanting to see Loke's reaction to hearing exactly how closely he had observed the celestial spirit while in the guild hall. "You're always smiling and laughing…but you always seemed so tense, and you never talk about anything important. It's always jokes…or the same flirting as usual. Don't you get tired of not making friends? I mean…if you aren't even friends with the other spirits, does it really make a difference who you get close to or not? Either way…it sounds like you're still suffering in some form."

He wanted to help. Really, even if he selfishly wanted Loke to feel something more…his advice was meant to be taken just so Loke could at least make friends. "That's got to be the first time anyone's ever told me to do that." Loke chuckled to himself, sighing and focusing on Nab. "Though, I have to admit…I already know I have a problem with that. Zeref probably has closer friends than I do…and he's the most hated villain in all of Fiore. I just…can you imagine what it's like, living your life knowing those around you will all die before you?"

Closing his eyes, Nab shrugged. "I mean…I know it sounds hard." He looked back towards Loke, frowning. "I can't say I have thought about it personally…but nature has a few unusual things like that itself. Some animals kill their own mates after having children…sometimes, they just abandon their entire family after days. Humans…and I guess spirits as well…we're the weird ones, don't you think?" He smiled, shaking his head. "Loss is a part of nature, and a part of life. I…I don't have people I'm all that close to…but it is something I can kinda understand."

"But I'm not a part of nature, not really." Loke held his hand out in front of him, and after a moment, Nab was watching as it began to glow in a golden light. "Celestial spirits…we aren't technically living, not by any classification system you've come up with. We don't die, and we don't reproduce…we're just…creations of energy, living in another world and only able to enter this one because of some slim lining connecting our worlds. Not even we spirits know what formed that connection in the first place…or how the first spirit was even born. We simply exist…and there isn't really anything out there that can take that existence away from us, other than being robbed of our energy through staying away from the celestial world."

"By that logic, Mavis and Zeref aren't alive either." Loke frowned at him, while Nab smiled. "I mean…the curse, right? Mavis explained it…she said they were immortal. They'd understand that feeling…I'd bet Mavis would talk to you about it, if you wanted to. Zeref might…but I really don't think he'd be a good one to ask…"

"And would talking change anything?"

Loke's eyes were serious, as if challenging Nab to counter his words. However, Nab shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not really…but…don't you still feel joy? Loneliness? Sadness?" Loke nodded, looking away. "Maybe…maybe you are a celestial spirit…but your qualities that make you who you are…they're a lot like a human's, and that's why…that's why you deserve to act like one, when you want to. Maybe you'll suffer loss…but it'll be okay, because you'll still have a future of meeting new people to look forward to."

"Tell you what…I'll start trying to make real friends the moment you start taking jobs on a regular basis." Nab gulped, while Loke smirked at him and chuckled. "That way, I've got plenty of time to get used to the idea."

"Hey!" Nab narrowed his eyes at Loke, seeing amusement glinting in his gaze. "What…what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I think it'll take you longer to get over your confidence issues than it'll take me to get over my social issues."

Scowling, Nab looked away with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. "I could get over it any time I wanted…I just choose not to."

"Whatever you want to believe, Nab." Loke smiled in amusement, shaking his head. "Either way, the challenge still stands. Why don't we both help each other move past our issues, since we're both too helpless to get over them ourselves?"

He felt his cheeks heat up again, this time feeling his heart pound at those words. Loke didn't mean it that way, but it sounded like they'd be working closely together on both of these issues. "Oh…um…yeah. That…that sounds good." He folded his hands in his lap, rubbing his thumb along the side of his index finger repeatedly. His eyes focused on watching the motion, biting his lip while Loke observed him with a faint smile. "So…did you ever end up making any good friends before with humans? I mean…the way you talk, it sounds like you've been hurt long before Karen…" Loke nodded, beginning to talk rather quickly in response. He spoke of former key holders and eras which Nab had not lived in, but he looked happy as he did so, remembering faces that were no longer in existence today. Sure, they were just barely becoming friends, but Nab couldn't help himself from smiling as they spoke. It might have been nerve-wracking to think about being on this train with Loke for so long, but he was enjoying himself, and the chance to truly speak with Loke like this again, as if they actually might become something more one day if they kept working together like this.

And here's some more Nab/Loke bonding, to get a little bit of a lighter chapter after the last one. I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!