When the thought crossed her mind, Tifa called herself crazy. Sure there was always the smallest chance but that didn't necessarily mean Cloud would take it. Sure, Aerith was pretty and kind and yadaya but still. She knew Cloud longer, from Nibelhiem to Radiant Garden.

Perhaps she was paranoid, that's what she kept telling herself. That's what she wanted to believe. Yet she couldn't deny the fact that they were getting closer. Where as he would never tell her the situation he would spill everything to Aerith. It was unfair in her opinion. Too unfair. It was clear he had a favorite and it wasn't her.

She was acting jealous, she knew it. This was ridiculous. Aerith was her friend. Sure, the flower girl had admitted at one point that Cloud was cute. But still! She felt guilty knowing she was, intentional or not, taking her jealousy out on her. She couldn't bring herself to stop though.

So she officially knew she wasn't imagining it. Even Yuffie could see the two were growing closer. She tried to stop it, in any way she could. Yet with each failed attempt, she felt her hope dropping.

The first time she had seen them kiss, by accident, she refused to break. She pretended like nothing was going on. When the two had announced their relationship, she faked her happiness for them. She wished Aerith would drop dead but still, she continued to pretend. However, when she found mako baby blue eyes narrowed at her she knew she was fooling all but two.

When she heard them doing Gaia knows what, she broke. Completely broke. She trudged towards her friend's room, tears rolling down her face. She was glad Leon didn't ask questions when she got there. Her raven haired friend gave her a look of understanding. She was thankful for at least this friend. Only a true friend would kick her boyfriend out for the night just to stay by your side. She found herself spilling all her fears and crying in her friend's arms. And that's how she fell asleep.

The days grew longer, the rays colder, and the nights lonelier. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep going on like this. She knew she couldn't keep faking her pain forever. It would only get worse, as she watched them act like nothing else mattered in the world but the other.

She not sure why she let what her friend said get to her. She didn't like how it got her thinking.

"Tifa."

Said red eyed woman turned to look at her friend. Sakoura was wearing khaki shorts and a black tank top that stopped midriff, black hair tied back in a ponytail. Mako blue eyes blinked at her slowly. "If seeing them hurts you so much then why stay in this house?"

She thought over her friend's words and decided maybe space was what she needed.

The day after she had finally finished moving into her new apartment, she found Cloud at her doorstep that evening.

"Why'd you leave?"

She decided to take a chance and explain what was bugging her. Maybe then she could..

Whatever growing hope she had vanished when she finished and Cloud wouldn't look at her. "Cloud...tell me all those years together meant something?"

When she got no reply and looked in his eyes, the guilt clear in them, she lost it. Tifa kicked him out yelling at the tops of her lungs, tears streaming down her face. The moment he left, she called Sakoura. Her friend had come over soon and sat with her, while she cried her heart out. It was odd. The same person she now hated was related to one of her closest friends. It had been only after hours of sobbing, of wine, and after cuddling into her friend for comfort that she finally fell asleep. Her friend left her to be alone the next two days as well as kept others away. It was on the third day that her friend came back.

Tifa sighed from where she sat on her bed in her apartment. Her friend had went to the marketplace to get some food. She heard the door open downstairs and close shortly after. It was after a minute or two of silence that her friend ventured into the room, plastic bag in hand.

The two ate in silence for a bit, with the odd comment or two coming up.

Her friend looked at her, chewing her food slowly before swallowing. "You know Tifa...I think...I think you're better off leaving Radiant Garden."

Tifa whirled on the other, staring at her as if she had grown an extra head and three more pairs of eyes. "What the hell in Gaia's name is wrong with you? Are you crazy?"

"I know, it seems weird. But Tifa, I think it would do you some good. Teef, everyday, I see you die a little and it kills me to know there's not a lot I can do about it. Leaving is the only way the pain will even begin to numb." Her friend had taken their plates and walked out, leaving her to think.

She heard her phone ring and let it go straight to voicemail. What she heard made her mind up.

"Hey Tifa it's Cloud..just...gnn...wondering how you were doing...Yuffie's...guh...worried about you...Aerith can you please stop for a second? Let me just finish this call...fine...Aerith's getting impatient so see ya."

Tifa walked downstairs, eyes meeting the one's looking up at the sound of footsteps. "So...when do I leave?"

After a day of packing, Tifa found herself in the gummi hangar with a bag hanging over her shoulder and carrying a metallic brief case. She turned around to her friend.

Sakoura smiled softly before pulling out an envelope and putting it in Tifa's free hand. "That should be enough to last you a few months..." Mako eyes drifted down to the case, "and you many need that in the future."

Tifa handed her case to the luggage handler and turned back to her friend. She felt water at the corners of her eyes and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss you Koura." She felt arms wrap around her in return.

"I'll miss you too Teef."

Tifa burrowed her watery eyes into her friend's shoulder. "Tell the others I'm sorry." The two pulled apart and Tifa took a moment to take off her necklace. She handed it towards her friend who looked at her in confusion. "Keep it safe. Until we see each other again." She heard the whistle blow loudly and stuffed her pendant into her friend's hand before hurrying off onto her gummi ship.

"But how do you know?"

Tifa looked over her shoulder. "Trust me. We will."

"In that case..." Tifa blinked before lunging at the metallic object tossed at her. She looked down into her hand, eyes widening at the sight of a familiar phoenix pendant. Her eyes looked back into mako ones. "Until then...Lockhart."

Tifa smiled. "Yeah until then Strife. I promise." As the door started closing she hurried to the open dock and yelled down at her friend, "And maybe I'll have some stories to tell you by then!"

"You better Teef!" Tifa chuckled softly as the gummi ascended into the sky.

She was leaving everything she had behind. All the familiar townspeople, her family, her second home. But this was her only chance to start again. She'd be damned if she didn't take it.