Let's discuss Cloud's main love interest: Aerith or Tifa

[silentenigma]

After all, when put into perspective with the compilation (OtWtaS:CoT, Advent Children) the 'high affection' version is the only one that really makes any sense. It's logical that the ultimania, then, would reflect this.

Would that not make it canon then?

Yes, it certainly is canon, but I'm not going for 2009 canon. I've been discussing a VERY alternate point of view since I do not accept anything after ~2003 (the Compilation) into my own personal continuity. This basically leaves us with the original game only.

Cait Sith's prediction:

Said by the creators to be BS in the Ultima Omega... or at least they called his predictions unreliable.

Well it's obvious that the prediction itself was BS, considering what happens... but I was talking moar about the atmosphere surrounding the scene.

What about Tifa and Cloud rising slowly out of the lifestream?... does that count for CxT then?

Yes it most certainly does. And like the forest scene, it can be interpreted a couple of ways and alone cannot be definitive support for anything.

And Cloud's chasing her probably to I dunno, apologize for beating the crap out of her. Or maybe to find out where she's going.

Your latter suggestion is definately the more valid interpretation; remember that I said there can be many different (non CxA) interpretations of this scene based on your leanings. However, he already did apologize for beating her earlier in the dream, and she did tell him where she was going. And when she turned to run off, since he was dreaming, he wasn't able to hold her back (shown by him reaching out) or follow her like he wanted (running without going anywhere).

Did you notice when Cloud wakes up he does NOT want to go after her? His friend have to convince him to do so.

Cloud, after he wakes up, is afraid he might end up killing Aeris or doing something terrible if he follows her. It is for this reason that he does not want to go, even though deep down, as shown by his hazy and abstract dream, he does want to follow her (for whatever reason).

And it was Tifa's hand that was really reaching for him, wasn't it? So how can that be CxA?

When Cloud snaps back into his own body, Tifa is frantically reaching out to him and shouting to him because he's in mortal peril and she's trying to awaken him and save him from falling into the lifestream. This situation is a far cry from the dream-like, idealistic moment he was having just seconds earlier, where Cloud and Aeris reached out to each other as if to be reunited. A lot of people also see the transition from Aeris' hand to Tifa's as symbolic of Cloud choosing Tifa over Aeris, and had Cloud not suddenly been thrust into a life-or-death situation, I'd probably agree. However, that's not the case.