Title: Limit Break
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Characters: Aeris Gainsborough, Cloud Strife
Rating: SFW
Length: 1341 words
Content notes: Headcanon for how limit breaks work
Summary: Aeris's view of the battle with Bahamut in Edge.


Somewhere in the back of her mind Aeris was faintly aware that the prior Cetra representatives had never formerly rarely fixated so intently on such small sections of the Planet or individual humans as she did. But even if she'd wanted to she could not look away from this; Cloud was racing back across the wasteland that surrounded Midgar, the diminutive form of Marlene resting safely in front of him. Vincent swooped through the air not far behind; his body transfigured into his demonic alternate form as Cid Highwind and remaining members of Avalanche were at that moment hurtling over the sea in the captain's newest airship.

She watched as six warriors attacked the corrupted Bahamut, working together as best they could, each dodging out of the other's way or snatching another from the certain death. They fought with rusted skills; out of practice but old rhythms were quickly returning even as they reached their individual limits. They struggled to keep the summoned creature distracted from Edge's populace, but were barely injuring it in the process; its cries more of annoyance than pain.

Unlike his companions, Cloud's skills had lost none of their potency, even as the pain of geostigma wracked his body. She'd done her best to reduce the effects after speaking to him in the Forgotten City, but it could only be a temporary relief. She could heal him, heal all of them, but needed Sephiroth's control disrupted first. Maybe she could spare some of the spell for Cloud, but not now and not like this. He needed to rest for a moment first, a moment of calm at a place the Lifestream was strong. She watched as Cloud let Marlene into the Seventh Heaven, and then as he hurtled towards the battle picking up Tifa along the way. The Cetra watched him fight; no matter how he had gained those skills, Cloud fought in a way that was uniquely his and he danced through the air with Bahamut, sword repeatedly striking the giant, gouging thick skin and armour.

Last night the would be SOLDIER had demonstrated he was still able to directly manipulate spirit energy for his attacks as he had two years prior, and he now called upon it again to smash the summoned creature towards the ground. Aeris, Avalanche and Cloud all watched as their enemy collapsed, writhing on the ground as it let out a roar of pain and frustration. It wasn't over; the creature still clung to this world and now the Cetra felt the summoner's will reach out to his minion. Kadaj was directing the dragon to ignore the tiny figures who stood against it and to instead prepare for something else. She wanted to interfere now, undo the spell and dissolve the summoned creature, but too much of her was bound up with crafting Great Gospel. She could only hope her friends could handle this themselves.

Bahamut flapped its wings and with a roar began pushing itself up into the air. Cloud hurled himself after it, Barret reaching down to provide a helping hand before flinging his friend up into the air. Aeris felt giddy as she sensed a spark of spirit energy flicker from the former Avalanche leader to the swordsman. Cloud sailed up into the air, as blue energy beginning to collect in the summon's jaws; the creature was concentrating all its energy into one attack - likely intended to decimate Edge in its entirety. Cloud struck the giant again but rebounded off the creature's armour and over-balanced. Floundering in mid-air he started tumbling past the dragon and it seized on the opportunity; a clawed foot smashed into him, shoving him back towards the ground.

Avalanche reacted; even as Cloud fell, even as muscles screamed with effort after all they had endured, they began hurling themselves up to higher and higher perches rather than attacking the ascending opponent. Without a request, without orders, without thinking, each was prepared to help deliver Cloud to where he needed to be. Cid raced to catch Cloud on the shaft of his spear and with a shout of encouragement catapulted him upwards once more. Too slow to catch Bahamut; but hopefully not too slow to stop his attack. The dragon raced upwards more rapidly as Nanaki leapt for Cloud's back and with a shove thrust him upwards as Cait Sith shouted encouragement.

Yuffie somersaulted from her vantage point on a nearby building to catch Cloud's boot in her hands, and with her own battle cry pushed the swordsman still higher. Cloud merged his swords back into a single blade, trusting unquestioningly in the two still above him. Vincent stepped almost casually from his perch and took Cloud's hand in his claw. "Fly," he said with effort and with superhuman strength he flung the swordsman skyward.

Each time Avalanche pushed the would be SOLDIER upwards, another little flicker of the same spirit energy the group had formerly used trickled into Cloud, each time increasing the amount he would be able to draw on. There was only one friend left now; Tifa dived towards him from the apex of the nearby building. Aeris felt a surge of delight as she saw them hang together in space for a moment, each staring into the other's eyes as their hands clasped. "No giving up," her friend ordered the swordsman and then she heaved him up above her. A torrent of energy burst from the martial artist and Cloud glowed as he accelerated; a bolt of blue fire hurtling towards his opponent.

It wasn't quite enough, the other seven members of Avalanche not quite sufficient to destroy the summon. Cloud just needed a little more. Aeris hoped she could spare the remainder to give him that final push. Bahamut's breath exploded into a ball of blue flame that streaked down towards Edge, towards the ascending Cloud. Utterly determined, he dove head-first into the blast, the donated spirit energy shielding him from the swirling destructive forces that threatened to obliterate him.

She acted before she could change her mind, quickly approaching and reaching down to him, smiling as his eyes widened and his expression softened. He took one hand from his sword hilt and reached up almost tentatively to touch her fingers. She too now pulled him upwards as her friends had and whispered "Go." The energy blast began dissipating around them as she let Cloud pass through where she had been a second before. Cloud burst from the now dissolving fireball, moving too fast for Bahamut to react to. He landed on the dragon's back, sinking his sword deep into its flesh as he ran the length of its body; the accumulated spirit energy now flowing out of him and through his sword as Bahamut screamed in pain.

The dragon lost its cohesion in this world, its body already beginning to collapse back into energy as it started tumbling through the air, landing awkwardly and heavily in amongst the partially constructed buildings of Edge. Cloud's friends stared up in admiration and astonishment, amazed at what he had done. Aeris wished she could tell them all that it wasn't just Cloud who'd achieved that; he'd only done it because they'd all helped him, all believed in him.

Cloud fell out of the sky, controlling his descent with twists of his body to land heavily on a girder. She could sense his exhaustion; he hadn't slept properly in some time, forced awake by circumstance since the previous day. Regrettably his task was not yet over; an explosion nearby drew his attention, alerting him to Kadaj's location.

Aeris hoped Cloud knew he was never alone in this endeavour. Just as she and Avalanche had helped him in Edge, the Turks now sped towards Midgar, prepared to even the odds Cloud was facing. Avalanche followed as quickly as possible; all ready to step in and do their part if needed. She too kept pace with the would be SOLDIER's movements, ready to lend a hand when, no, if he needed it.