((A/N: Grrh. I didn't like how this came out...but after this, none of those things you expected. I need to add a few twists in here, and at the moment, it sounds like the ultimate CloTi cliche))

Tifa sat on her bed, bitter, salty tears rolling down her pale cheeks. Yuffie sat right next to her, hugging her tightly. Tifa never realized what a good friend Yuffie was in the tough parts. She'd always thought of Yuffie as the flakey type, but now she saw that she would be there for her when it really counts.

"Thank you, Yuffie." She didn't say anything, but rested her chin on her shoulder.

"It's okay...Don't mention it, okay?" Tifa nodded, staring at the ground. She felt numb...and cold. How could she feel so cold? It was like her life was coming to an end. A very bittersweet end, very much closer to bitter than sweet.

"Yuffie....I....I don't understand. How could he lie to me like that?" She asked, her voice was hollow. Emotions had left her, as if they were carried away in all the tears she shed. There was no question in her mind that she would have the child, but she didn't now about the matter of raising it.

"Tifa, we don't know it all yet...there could be a good explanation...." Tifa snapped away from Yuffie, and stared at her. The only word that could describe the look in her eyes was betrayal. She couldn't believe that Yuffie was actually taking Cloud's side in this.

"Tifa...I'm not saying that what Cloud did was justifiable-"

"-no? Then what, exactally ARE you saying!?" Tifa yelled. She couldn't believe how Yuffie had just turned on her like that.

"I'm sorry...I don't know. I was...I....I can't believe Cloud would do that." Yuffie said quietly, tears flooding her yes. She hadn't meant to upset Tifa like she had. She was just shocked by what Cloud did. Of course, everyone always assumed that he loved Aeris, but that was before he actually said anything to Tifa. Before Aeris even died. She never got that feeling.

She never noticed Cloud giving Aeris those warm looks he gave Tifa. She never saw the content ease that Tifa gave him when he was around Aeris. She never noticed those painfully akward moments in their conversations when someone almost blurted something out that they didn't want the other to know.

"Well, he did, and-" Tifa was interrupted by Vincent entering the room. He was the last one she expected to see right then. Of course, he didn't come to comfort or give her sympathy. That wasn't the type of thing Vincent did. He was there to listen if someone wanted to unload their feelings, but he never went asking. He never asked about their feelings, knowing they may not want to share.

"Cloud wants everyone on the deck." He said simply, a strange tone in his voice. It was disgust. Yuffie could tell. Over the long months, actually over a year now, she'd learned Vincent's different moods and expressions. Tifa and Yuffie both stood an made their way to the deck, following Vincent. The three sat in the back, away from Cloud and Aeris's gazes.

"Okay. We're all here now, so I guess I should tell you...." Cloud said, a strange blankness in his eyes. Those eyes...Tifa sighed to herself, still finding the same longing she always had. That strange craving in her heart to be with him, to stare into those glowing mako orbs forever. But they didn't seem to glow the same at that particular moment. 'Maybe I'm seeing him in a new way...' Tifa thought to herself. Maybe she was just thinking that he wasn't quite as great as she thought.

Cloud cleared his throat, letting them all know he was about to begin. Anyone who was still talking stopped, and they looked at him. He was sitting in front of them, Aeris by his side.

"I've decided....we won't be fighting Jenova." He said calmly. Reeve jumped to his feet, and everyone else began speaking in protest.

"We'll die if we don't!" He yelled, anger building in his steely eyes. His fists were clenched, and his knuckles whitened. Aeris rose gracefully.

"And you-I mean, we- will if we do. The best thing is for us to live out our lives...it won't be so hard that way." She said, her green eyes sparkling, with a strange emotion. It wasn't an emotion any of them had encountered before.

"I won't give up like this! What the hell are you thinking!? If we fight, at least we'll know we tried...that we gave it our best shot, and we died honorably!" Reeve shot back. Aeris shook her head, and nobody said anything.

"If you wish to fight her, Reeve, then you will fight her alone." She said, a small smirk tugging at her lips. They were falling into her trap, she was sure. Suddenly, Cid rose to his feet. He ripped the cigarette from his mouth, and looked at Reeve.

"No...I'll fight her along with you. We'll go at it to the end, dammit!" he said, gripping his Venus Gospel in his gloved hand.

"So will I." Yuffie said, suddenly standing. Nanaki stalked over to Reeve, and layed at his feet.

"And I will as well." He growled. Next to stand was Vincent, which surprised everybody.

"I must atone for my sins." He stated. Then Tifa stood. Yuffie gasped, and was going to protest, but Tifa shook her head to silence her. She stared straight forward, looking at both Aeris and Cloud.

"And I'll go. My life, and the life of my child...my unborn child...are at stake. I'm not going to give up both of our lives without a fight." She said quietly. Cloud's eyes seemed to widen, and Aeris's sparkle with a new glee.

"Dammit, Teef. Yer a fool! But hell, I can' let you die 'cause there ain't enough people fightin'." Barret said, as he rose as well. Cloud didn't say a thing. He looked totally stricken, no maybe not stricken, just...very...blank.

"And how will you all fight her without a leader?" Aeris asked, an edge to her voice. Everyone had noticed how her voice had changed since she'd woken up. She was so cold, and dark. But Nanaki seemed to be the only one to put it all together. He didn't say anything yet, but one theory loomed in his mind, and it cast a strange, foreboding fear over him. But it all made sense. It would explain everything...Jenova.

"But we have a leader." Vincent said cooly, stepping up to Reeve. The others followed, and even though Reeve didn't seem to be too particularly pleased with the idea, but he nodded anyways. This was his idea, and he knew that whether he liked it or not, he was stuck in the lead.

Aeris gave them a cold glare, more evil than even some they'd gotten from Sephiroth himself. It sent a chill down each of their spines, and made them more urgent than they already were.

"That's enough. Cloud, come." Cloud remained sitting for a moment, as if struggling not to go. She gave him a cold look, and grabbed his wrist, and he stood mechanically. Aeris lead him out of the room, while he stared at the ground, tiny bits of emotion breaking through Jenova's grasps.

Once they were gone, Nanaki looked up to the rest of the group.

"Come to my room tonight. I have been thinking, and I think I've come up with something you all should know." Nanaki said, before stalking off. Everyone else left after that, without saying a word. All of the news had definately thrown them off guard. They all returned to their rooms in silence, and remained in them for the rest of the night untill they left for Nanaki's room.

Tifa woke up to the sound of her alarm, which she had set to wake her for later that night. She sighed, and stood up, brushing a comb through her long hair. She didn't bother to put on any shoes, since this was just a trip to Nanaki's room.

She sighed, and walked out of her room, locking the door behind her. She was nearly to Nanaki's room when she felt a cold arm wrap around her waist, and the cold steel of Ultima Weapon against her neck.

Her scream echoed throughout the airship, bringing everyone to attention.

((A/N:bleck. Short chapter, I know, but the next one will be better. I promise. Please review ^^!!))