Crush – when applied to a living target can split them apart and becomes reduced to numerous, doll-like versions of themselves. This effect is not permanent, and the affected will, with time, return to their original shape. However, should the user wish, they can reassemble the divided person with a simple motion.

Natsu's vision splintered, wavered and broke.

He felt Gildarts' power washing over him, his own fire instinctively flaring, searing along the seams opening up in his body in a desperate, frantic attempt to hold himself together. He recognised this sensation and knew what was coming, and for a moment as his vision disintegrated into what felt like a thousand eyes, he was back on Tenroujima – terror rippling through him. He was back in the months after Tartarus, his grief magnified a hundred times as Gildarts magic splintered him a second time. Then he blinked, hundreds of tiny eyes moving unison and he cursed, loudly and colourfully as he glared up at the older man who was suddenly a lot taller and looking down at him with the same mixture of bemusement, worry and a hint of guilt as the last two times he'd accidentally split Natsu into numerous doll-like versions of himself.

Not again…

"Again, seriously?" He demanded the words echoed a dozen times, spreading through the crowd of himself. There was no real anger in the words, or worry, this had happened before, and while he would never get used to the sensation, he knew it wouldn't last long. Which meant that he had to make the most of the chance he had just been given because while this scene was similar, he was different. His fire burned differently now, his still-healing arm, itching with it and he – all of him – grinned, as sparks began to dance around his fingers.

"I…"

Natsu didn't give him a chance to reply, erupting into flames and lunging. It was disorientating because he could feel himself in every single one of the tiny figures, seeing too much and not enough, his magic as fragmented as everything else, but unified for this moment as they descended on Gildarts in a noisy wave. He'd learned from the other side, the wave of him splitting down the middle, surging around the arm that had been raised to shield against him and the attempt to swipe him away, circling behind the older man and attacking—a thousand tiny, dancing flames. A dragon's rage splintered but burning bright. "I'm going to win this time!" He chanted over and over, dizzy with the movement of hundreds of himself, pummelling, kicking, even yanking on Gildarts hair, singing it and for a moment he tasted victory.

Finally…

There was a shout of pain and frustration, and then a hand was grabbing him…part of him, several parts of him, and there was a pressure in the air. The kind that steals your breath, and makes your hairs stand on end. Oh no. There was a flicker of fear then, a surging wrongness, as the air shifted and something vanished. There was nothing audible, but it felt to him as though something had popped out of existence, a different pressure building behind his eyes. What…? Dark spots danced across his vision, and he blinked to try and clear them, frowning as he found himself staring up into alarmed eyes, seeing a mouth that was too much large – or was he too small – moving urgently, although he was unable to make out the words.

…who?

There was a gap, a space in his head, and he shook his head, trying to make sense of what was going on. Terror clawing at him now. What is going on? There was pressure again, or had it always been there? In the air, around his chest, something holding him down, as the man continued to speak the words not reaching him and not knowing what else to do, he burned bright and shouted for the one person he trusted to make sense of what was going on. "GRAY!" His voice sounded wrong, echoey somehow, or had it always sounded like that and he'd forgotten? He didn't know, and he didn't like that he didn't know. "GRAY! GRAY!"

He couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

He wanted Gray.

He…

The pressure grew, the darkness spread, and light flared as the world disappeared.