[ Cloud reaches out to her, prepared to snatch the book to put a stop to her. With this short distance between them, he can make it in time and— ]
!!? Guh—
[ A flash. That's all it was through his mind as the split second of pain through his brain prevents him from stopping her when his vision clears to the sight of the white heron falling before his very eyes. There's not enough air in the world to satiate his lungs, as he struggles to remember how to breath at the soul crushing sight. Another person who fell...and he let it happen again. Cloud couldn't protect his Mom when Nibelheim burned to the ground. He couldn't save Tifa when she was left for dead at the Reactor. He couldn't s̷̰͝a̵͓͊v̷̭̀é̴͉ ̶̹̔Z̶̒ͅả̵̤c̶̻͗k̵͈̀. The world was crumbling down in his burning nightmare, fear in the eyes of the girl whose last word was barely his name.
"You are too weak to save anyone."
(Shut up...)
"Not even yourself." ]
!!
[ Cloud catches Ayaka before she can fall, the sound of his Soul Artifact clattering to the ground like a ringing echo as she falls into him. As she clutches her chest in pain, he's careful in lowering her to the ground, partially seated upright as he falls to his knees to hold her. His arm wraps around her shoulders tight as he looks for any sign that she was okay. That she could see and hear him. ]
Ayaka... [ His now freed hand moves to clasp hers upon her chest, giving her a shake. ] Ayaka!
[ And just when Cloud's hand squeezes hers, the invisible clutch upon her heart is released and she breathes again. Any guilt he may have felt in letting this happen to her is temporarily thrown to the wayside, her Soul Artifact tarnished by a torn page as he feels like he can finally breath with her. Yet he can't speak. Not yet anyway as he holds her close to his chest and doesn't take his eyes off her. Not for a moment. Just like she told him. ]
no subject
!!?
[ A flash. That's all it was through his mind as the split second of pain through his brain prevents him from stopping her when his vision clears to the sight of the white heron falling before his very eyes. There's not enough air in the world to satiate his lungs, as he struggles to remember how to breath at the soul crushing sight. Another person who fell...and he let it happen again. Cloud couldn't protect his Mom when Nibelheim burned to the ground. He couldn't save Tifa when she was left for dead at the Reactor. He couldn't s̷̰͝a̵͓͊v̷̭̀é̴͉ ̶̹̔Z̶̒ͅả̵̤c̶̻͗k̵͈̀. The world was crumbling down in his burning nightmare, fear in the eyes of the girl whose last word was barely his name.
"You are too weak to save anyone."
(Shut up...)
"Not even yourself." ]
!!
[ Cloud catches Ayaka before she can fall, the sound of his Soul Artifact clattering to the ground like a ringing echo as she falls into him. As she clutches her chest in pain, he's careful in lowering her to the ground, partially seated upright as he falls to his knees to hold her. His arm wraps around her shoulders tight as he looks for any sign that she was okay. That she could see and hear him. ]
Ayaka... [ His now freed hand moves to clasp hers upon her chest, giving her a shake. ] Ayaka!
[ And just when Cloud's hand squeezes hers, the invisible clutch upon her heart is released and she breathes again. Any guilt he may have felt in letting this happen to her is temporarily thrown to the wayside, her Soul Artifact tarnished by a torn page as he feels like he can finally breath with her. Yet he can't speak. Not yet anyway as he holds her close to his chest and doesn't take his eyes off her. Not for a moment. Just like she told him. ]