SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 166 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 166: Alvarez Empire Arc: I Can No Longer See Love

"Think he'll follow us all the way there?" Eve wondered.

"Shall I strip?" Jenny suggested.

"If my calculations are correct, seduction tactics won't work at all." Hibiki pointed out.

"Anna-sensei," Wendy started. "I'm having a hard time remembering."

"It's understandable." Anna nodded. "I doubt any of the others remember me, either. It must've been a consequence of passing through the Eclipse at such a young age."

"I wish I could remember, but..." Wendy sighed.

"Anna-san." Ichiya popped in. "We're nearing the designated coordinates."

"Let's begin, everyone." Anna gave the order.

"Hibiki, your calculations are right, I hope?" Even inquired.

"Of course they are." Hibiki assured.

"We're goners if we touch the time rift, too, just so you know." Ren reminded.

"Are you sure about skimming our ship right past the rift?" even Jenny was skeptical. "Isn't the time rift supposed to be invisible?"

"It's risky, but it's the only way." Ren argued. "He keeps closing in, no matter how much we speed up." he realized Acnologia was on their tail. "Hibiki, are you sure about this? Eve, we need to go faster."

"Not yet." Eve held his ground. "I have to time this right."

"Five hundred meters to go." Hibiki announced.

"Four hundred meters to the time rift." Even declared.

"It's time." Ichiya informed.

"Three hundred." Even added, the Christina speeding up. "Two hundred. Here goes." he steered the ship in a spiral roll. "One hundred."

"Barrel roll!" Ichiya ordered, Eve managing to barely passed above the time rift.

"We passed the time rift." Eve declared. "No damage to the hull."

"Let's stabilize her." Hibiki nodded.

"Once Acnologia touches the time rift, he'll be gone for good." Anna was certain.

"He hit it." Even beamed when Acnologia slammed head-first into the time rift.

"Impossible!" Hibiki was shocked when Acnologia passed through the time rift unharmed and grabbed hold of the Christina.

"He went through it?" even Anna was stunned.

"But how?" Ren gaped. "He definitely touched the time rift."

"This is bad." Erza gaped. "He's grabbed hold of the ship."

"This isn't possible." Anna remarked. "He even made the rift visible again. No," she corrected herself. "The time rift is closing."

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"I found a rift in time." Zeref explained. "It's filled with an unbelievable amount of temporal magic power. That temporal magic power belongs to me. Which is why I've decided to close it until the Neo Eclipse is complete."

On the Christina...

"Unless we do something, he'll destroy the ship along with us." Erza noted. "We need another idea."

"We don't have much time, unfortunately." Jellal pointed out.

"Ichiya, destroy this ship's lacrima." Erza barked. "The one that helps Dragon Slayers. He's a Dragon Slayer, too. He'll have to let go of the ship."

"I see." Ichiya agreed. "Power Parfum!" he powered up. "Crash!" he smashed the lacrima with a hit from his elbow.

"Sorry, Wendy." Erza instantly caught the woozy Dragon Slayer when the effects hit. "He's let go." she then noticed they had also shook off Acnologia.

"What's the plan?" Jellal turned to Anna.

"I'll pry the time rift open." Anna replied. "Acnologia must be defeated, no matter what."

With Lucy, Gray and Happy...

Lucy opened the Book of E.N.D and a flood of cryptic writings escaped the book and covered the sky.

"Is all of this stuff about Natsu?" Gray was stunned by the magnitude of letters.

"Could this be...?" Lucy frowned.

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"You aren't enough to stop me." Zeref declared.

"But I am." Mavis cut in. "Zeref."

"Now, everything for the Neo Eclipse is ready." Zeref grinned.

"Stay out of this, Shodai." Natsu demanded, burning away his bindings with Dragon Force. "I've just gotten all fired up."

"That won't help. Natsu." Zeref chided. "It's a shame that you don't have the power to change into a dragon, like Acnologia."

"I'm human." Natsu corrected. "I won't end up like Acnologia. Because that was Igneel's wish."

"You may not be a dragon, but you're not a human, either." Zeref reminded, powering up and energy sphere in his hands.

"I'll destroy you with this fire." Natsu swore, charging up his flaming fist.

"Wait." Mavis put herself between the feuding siblings. "Please give me a chance to talk with Zeref."

"I've had enough of you." Zeref grabbed Mavis by the head and pulled it back.

"Please hear me out, Zeref." Mavis pleaded. "I can save you. I can free you from your immortality. I've figured it out; I've found a way to defeat you."

"It's pointless." Zeref refused to listen. "I've already tried every method possible to die. Not even E.N.D can beat me."

"Then, why do you fear Acnologia?" Mavis posted the question.

"He terrifies me because I can't die." Zeref replied. "Acnologia is too powerful for even an immortal to defeat. He is the ender of human history. At some point, all humanity will be gone and only you and I will remain. He'll toy with us, day after day. Who knows what he'll do to us. All I know is that we'll never die. We'll be his playthings for eternity."

"I have a way to end that eternity." Mavis declared.

"So do I." Zeref smirked. "The Neo Eclipse; the best solution of all." he started absorbing the Fairy Heart. "Your magic power will soon be mine.

On the Christina...

"We're lost a rear wingtip." Eve reported. "We can't maintain this speed."

"Igniting spare magic booster." Jenny activated the reserve boosters.

"I need you to buy some time." Anna requested. "I'm going to open the time rift. I'm a Celestial Spirit mage, after all. Opening gates is my specialty."

"Ill buy you some time." Jellal made the decision.

In the Fairy Tail Guildhall...

"The Neo Eclipse spell allows you to relive your life and do things over." Zeref related. "I'm going back to my life as it was 400 years ago: back to when I had a family and an adorable little brother. I'll avoid becoming an immortal and eventually achieve death. It's a shame I'll never get to see you again, though. I'm sure you would've been happier had you not met me in the first place. I'm sorry, Mavis. But, I promise you this: I will defeat Acnologia before he can become as powerful as he is now. And Natsu will fight alongside me. I'll ensure humankind has a future. But to do that, I must say goodbye to this world."

"You mustn't erase this world." Mavis begged. "Because this is the world..."

"Where we met." the two former lovers chorused, after Zeref finished draining Mavis of her magic.

"Shodai!" Natsu hurried over before Mavis hit the ground.

"Now, I've cut all lingering ties to this world." Zeref declared. "She isn't dead." he informed Natsu. "But I have extracted all of her magic power. I doubt she can even stand up anymore. The time has come. This is the Fairy Heart."

Natsu shielded his eyes from the powerful ripples of magic that emitted from Zeref, his eyes widening when he saw Zeref taking on his 'Neo Eclipse' form.

"I have limitless magic power." Zeref declared, now clad entirely in white. "The power of a God; power that transcends even time."

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.