Everyone surrounded Cait on the Highwind, waiting to hear more news. The cat on the mog had stopped moving after the announcement…

Tifa pulled at a stray piece of leather on her gloves, worried for the news to come.

"I wonder what happened… to Sephiroth, to the Northern Cave. We need to go see what happened." Cloud glanced over to the pilot who nodded.

"When AVALANCHE was jes starin' we used to put up flyers everywhere." Barret smiled at the fond memories, "And now, we're up against Sephiroth. How about that? Feels like a long time ago."

Tifa couldn't help but nod in agreeance. "Now we're going to fight Sephiroth… I wonder what the inside of that cave looks like. You think he is just sitting there waiting for Meteor?"

"We will start heading up there. Everyone get some rest." Cid announced moving to watch the pilot.

The group disbanded, each moving to either the chow hall, or to watch the flight some. Tifa, Vincent and Cid all moved together to the sleeping quarters. Tifa needed a shower. With a heavy sigh, she gathered clean clothing and a large towel, then made her way to the shower facility. She froze after entering the door, spotting a shirtless Vincent already within the facility. He glanced to her, removing his headband and quirking a brow. "Tifa…"

The fighter blushed heavily, unable to draw her eyes away from his pale form. "S-sorry, I… um..."

He let out a small smirk, tossing the bandana aside and approaching the fighter. "You have no reason to apologize Tifa. It is I who should apologize. After all… I never want to see you hurt.."

She bit back the memory and nodded, "I know it's just." Tifa met his eyes before they wandered to his strong toned chest, his hair framing his face and the look of amusement still upon the gunman's lips.

Ever gently he would cup her face with his human hand. Her eyes met his and he sighed softly. "Lucrecia will always hold a place in my heart, and seeing her brought back a lot of regret. However, Galian has drilled it in my head that you are someone amazing... someone special. That I need to keep a hold on you and see you for something more than just your eyes. Tifa, you deserve a man who can make you happy all around."

She closed her eyes, leaning close to rest her forehead against his bare chest. "With what goes on in your head, you're going to give me quite a bit of whiplash. Are you truly seeing me, or is this you trying to convince yourself to see me. I just... I don't want to cause any more conflict. If you are not ready then I understand, I just... what Chaos spoke of, it was a bit much. I don't think he will ever accept this form of life. In his eyes I am just a mortal, someone unworthy."

"I see you, for you Tifa… Please don't let what Chaos says to you discourage you. His goal in the end is to escape, and return to his place beside the lifestream and he will use whatever and whoever he can to get his desire… unlike Galian, he will never rest, and I will always struggle with the control." He sighed, moving to unbuckle his boots, "I hear his voice inside my mind all the time, telling me that you will return to Cloud, telling me I should just give up. Why should I bother continuing this fight when it is not mine in the end. All I ever will be is a failure."

Tifa felt the room grow heavier. She wasn't the only one that heard taunting voices. She placed her clean clothes and towel down, before unsnapping her suspenders. "It's funny that you say that… too often are my dreams affected by words of doubt. The very same doubt that you seem to have. I'm just a barmaid, why should I be fighting."

He glanced over at the fighter confused.

"Vincent… Do you really believe that it is Chaos telling you all these things, or is it someone else in disguise? Chaos when he came out mentioned that he was from the lifestream… He could smell the lifestream on me still. He detested that I traversed there and showed such anger and hate to my very being. I was just thinking, perhaps Chaos is really reaching out with that hate for everyone, especially since Sephiroth is hiding within the planets wound where life is gathering to heal... Do you think that perhaps this was all planned, that perhaps Sephiroth is really manipulating all of us since he is trying to absorb the lifestreams strength?"

Vincent's lips formed a thin line, he was no doubt searching through his memories.

"I wonder if the others who have come close to the lifestream have had thoughts like this… it's like a stigma inside our heads." Tifa removed her top, then proceeded to remove her sports bra before her skirt and undergarment.

Vincent stepped under the hot shower, leaning against the wall with his gauntlet deep in thought. "It is a possibility, the only way we would truly know is to face him and win.

Tifa bit her bottom lip gently while rubbing her biceps to rid herself of the goosebumps that rose up, "Cid told me that we need to take strength from one another… that we can't let anyone tell us otherwise. We need to use their strength to be strong, so that everyone else in turn can be strong for us." She stepped in the same shower stall as Vincent, letting her hands run up and down his toned back.

He let out a small hum in appreciation, turning to take the woman in his arms. "Tifa…"

"Let me be your strength Vincent." She purred softly, wrapping her arms around him,

He leaned down to capture her lips, both hands roaming her body sensually. The water dampened their hair, her soft body pressed against his firmed one. Tifa would gasp ever lightly as he moved his lips from hers to her neck. It had caused the fighter to hold onto the gunman tighter, unable to get enough of his flesh pressed against hers.

Tifa jumped as the door opened, the gunman couldn't help but smirk as Cid strolled in with fresh clothing in hand, a towel around his hips, and a bath brush. "Hey Darkey, Tifa. Don't mind me, just scrubbing up!"

Tifa ducked down some, slightly embarrassed and no doubt red in the face. She shifted out of the gunman's arms and into her own stall, scrubbing up as quickly as possible, hoping to be finished before Cid. She shivered as the water was shut off, and dried herself quickly making her way back to her room halfway dressed. On the way out, she couldn't help but feel a bit mortified as Cid let out a cat call whistle.

Fully dressed, hair dried, and nearly at the north crater, Tifa waited for the others to arrive at the main deck. Cloud called for a meeting, stating that they were close. Everyone gathered around, looking off as the large crater quickly approached. A barrier, which had erected when Tifa and Barret were detained by Shinra, was now gone.

"Sephiroth's barrier is gone… Cid, do you think the Airship can get inside?" Cloud glanced to the pilot.

The pilot looked slightly insulted, "He's my student, ain't he? Of course he can go anywhere!"

"Right, sorry about that." Cloud smirked.

Cait suddenly let out a yelp, falling off of Mog,

"Yo, Cait Sith, now what?" Barrett questioned, more than ready to end Sephiroth.

"Hold it… Scarlet! Heidegger? What's going on? The President has been missing since the blast from the Sister Ray… and for some reason the weapon is charging up again." Cait's brows knitted together with worry, "Hojo… He is going to fire the ray at Sephiroth in order to give him more power!"

"Yo! Do something ya big cat!" Barret yelled out.

Cait could only shake his head, "We're sunk, Hojo's doing this on his own… Oh geeze I don't like this…" Cait's voice warbled with static before the sound of the Turks Reeve sounded through, "I don't like this at all, I don't know…"

Barret grinned from ear to ear as Cait hit his head a few times to get the voice to switch back, "You're busted, Reeve! Too late tryin' to hide it now!"

Cloud ignored the angry gunman, instead approaching Cait and kneeling to his level, "Can't you stop the Mako reactor?"

Cait could only shake his head, "We can't stop it."

"You're from Shinra ain't ya? Why can't you?" Barret paced the floor.

Cait pursed his lips unable to speak.

"We can a long way to get here. You better not double-cross us now." Cid approached sticking a cigarette in his mouth.

Cait frowned, slouching on top of Mog, "I can't make you trust me…"

Cid nearly bit through the filter, "You damn fool! Don't you understand anything I'm saying? I don't give a damn about Shinra! If you're a man… no if you're a human being, you'll save the planet! Don't you even care!?"

Cait shook his head, "You don't understand, If we shut down the reactor, all hell will break loose!"

"Why? Why can't you just shut off the valve!?" Cid spoke out louder.

"Yeah, it's easy to shut off the reactor's pipe valves, but the reactor made a path for the energy to escape from below. Once you open that, it would be impossible to close it until everything blasts out. And we can't try to stop the energy from shushing out…"

"$%^!" Barrett cursed, "It would cause an explosion…"

"The blast'll be way stronger than when the number 1 reactor blew up." Cait nodded.

"Damn it!" Barret slammed his fist against a railing.

"Forget about that… The Cannon!" Cait nearly jumped off of Mog, "We've got to get to Midgar! That's the first thing!"

Cloud nodded, "We need to stop Hojo."

Tifa glanced over at Vincent who seemed to be lost in thought. The ship lurched around, the engines pushing as hard as they can towards Midgar.

"You-you guys are going to come?" Cait's lower lip trembled.

"Yeah, we are on our way."

"We are heading to Midgar!" The Pilot in training announced.

Cid smirked, patting his back, "Good, I'm leaving the ship in your hands!"

"Will be glad to go back to Midgar, I gotta debt to all them that I can't never repay." Barret motioned to get himself prepped and ready.

Tifa moved to stand besides Vincent, and placed a hand upon his shoulder to draw his attention from his thoughts, "It's all right. You're here… Everyone's all together… Together, we can do anything. We've all worked this hard already."

He nodded, smiling behind the cowl of his cloak, "Hojo was a … queer fellow. Such an utter lack of scientific talent… Compared with the genius of Dr. Gast." He closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly, "Lucrecia chose him trying to protect him… I think I understand… I understand but…"

"It's ok Vincent. We are here for you, I am here for you…" Tifa smiled warmly, playing with the ends of her hair. "It's really ok."

Cloud cleared his throat glancing to the both of them, "Tifa, can I see you and Barret for a minute?"

She nodded, knowing full well that Vincent would no doubt be listening in to their conversation. Tifa, Barret and Cloud formed a small circle.

"We are going to have to parachute into Midgar, with all the checkpoints and threats to the planet all gates have been closed. There will be no transport, and plenty of security." Cloud sighed some, "Tifa, Barret, you both are from Midgar, and I can trust you both to get your teams to the Sister Ray quickly. We must disable this weapon and stop Hojo at all costs."

Tifa swallowed hard, nodding while Barret grinned pumping his arm amped to go, "Just give us the teams, we will get there no matter what."

"Tifa, you Cait, and Yuffie stick together as a team. Barret, you and Red will form team two while Cid Vincent and I make up the last team." Cloud glanced to Tifa to see if she was put off by the team, however she simply smiled with a nod. "We can do this"

"Hojo could be dangerous, so everyone be on high alert. Shinra will be down there in a swarm of panic." Cloud smiled back, "Stay safe, and get to the Sister Rays controls."

Tifa moved over to Cait, kneeling down to better inform him. "Reeve, we are on the way. Just hold on a bit longer, ok?"

The mechanical cat would smile with a nod, jumping off of Mog to embrace Tifa, "I can't thank you guys enough for coming. I was just at a loss with what to do. Cait's the real fighter, not me."

"Don't worry, just get a parachute for Mog, we will be jumping in soon enough." Tifa stood up after the embrace, and making her way to find Yuffie. She found the ninja girl with her eyes closed, resting against the cool wall of the airship. "Yuffie, we will be jumping off the airship and parachuting into Midgar, are you ready for this?"

Yuffie gave a sheepish smile, looking a bit nervous, "Ready… Just, I'm worried about the whole hump thing."

"It's better than riding the airship" Tifa smiled warmly, "I promise."

"Everyone get ready! We are heading over Midgar in ten minutes!" Cid announced to the group.

Everyone gathered by the large dock door. Tifa fixed her parachute's straps once more before adjusting a pair of goggles over her eyes. "Remember, we are after Hojo but disabling that Sister Ray comes first. After, meet back outside in the city of Kalm, there the Airship will be waiting for us." Cloud snapped his last strap in and moved to open the door. Tifa's hair blew in her face for only a brief moment while the room adjusted to the wind. Cloud, Red, and Barret moved first, followed by Cid and Vincent who gave her one last glance before jumping out. Tifa watched Mog jump and moved to jump with Yuffie.

The ship lurched back, causing the ninja too fall out while Tifa stumbled inside the ship. Cursing at herself, she quickly moved and leaped out, drawing the cord not long after.