[Discussion] Who does Aerith truly love? (CC and FFVII spoilers) - Page 9

Ok we've established that it's likely that she only liked Cloud in the beginning because he reminded her of Zack, so let's move on. What about the Cloud-Aerith date? Doesn't that explain everything?

quote kefkaroth

Ok we've established that it's likely that she only liked Cloud in the beginning because he reminded her of Zack, so let's move on. What about the Cloud-Aerith date? Doesn't that explain everything?

Is this the canonical date? Because remember you could date Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or even Barrett.

And yea to me it seems like Aerith treats Cloud kind of like a son

"Why is everyone calling me mother lately?"

"Maybe they're fond of you"

And Zack leaving with Aerith could be a dead giveaway because he didn't say anything to Cloud, he was just waiting for Aerith.

I support the Zack/Aerith pairing, and as someone who played FFVII way back when, I never really went for the Clerith pairing seriously. I just thought of it as a minor part of the game, I viewed it as more of a friendship.

Very different from the cut in stone romances from say FFVIII or FFX.

Um... I know this is past overdue... but something to consider is the official timeline. Apparently, FFVII's story spans over a month and half-ish - that means Aerith knew Cloud for like, what, three weeks? How could she have possibly fallen in love with him? She'd known Zack for two years, and then kept up the faith for four (well, five, if you consider that she never got over him in FFVII).

Furthermore, everyone keeps talking about the UoG, but there's been an updated one that doesn't mention Maiden at all. Thus, it has been retconned. Strange how no one brought up that word yet: when NEW material is created that conflicts with the old, the old is retconned. Last order was supposed to be canon, but then CC came out, and so it overrode it.

Somebody, somewhere mentioned that because of the fact that in disc 1 you can make your own choices, it all alludes to a fake Cloud. Everything you did and chose to say in FFVII doesn't really count because 1) Cloud was effed up, and 2) it was the player's decision after all. By the time discs 2 and 3 come around, the ability to choose is taken away from the player, and Cloud is depicted as his real self.

One last thing: hasn't anyone considered this line from AC: "This one is too big to adopt." She said it to Zack, and it seemed like a very couple-y thing to say.

Just my two cents.

quote diamonds1021

Um... I know this is past overdue... but something to consider is the official timeline. Apparently, FFVII's story spans over a month and half-ish - that means Aerith knew Cloud for like, what, three weeks? How could she have possibly fallen in love with him? She'd known Zack for two years, and then kept up the faith for four (well, five, if you consider that she never got over him in FFVII).

Furthermore, everyone keeps talking about the UoG, but there's been an updated one that doesn't mention Maiden at all. Thus, it has been retconned. Strange how no one brought up that word yet: when NEW material is created that conflicts with the old, the old is retconned. Last order was supposed to be canon, but then CC came out, and so it overrode it.

Somebody, somewhere mentioned that because of the fact that in disc 1 you can make your own choices, it all alludes to a fake Cloud. Everything you did and chose to say in FFVII doesn't really count because 1) Cloud was effed up, and 2) it was the player's decision after all. By the time discs 2 and 3 come around, the ability to choose is taken away from the player, and Cloud is depicted as his real self.

One last thing: hasn't anyone considered this line from AC: "This one is too big to adopt." She said it to Zack, and it seemed like a very couple-y thing to say.

Just my two cents.

Well said good sir/madam.

I thought cait sith got some of his fortune telling wrong? I can't remember where i read that..

quote kefkaroth

Great point with the adoption line but I'm still not convinced.

I personally think 3 weeks is plenty of time to fall in love with someone, especially when they're spending so much time together and with him being her bodyguard and all.

Also, Cait Sith's fortune-telling adds weight to the Clerith
argument. Firstly in the Gold Saucer he predicts that Cloud will lose something dear. Then later, in the Temple of the Ancients, he declares that Aerith and Cloud are perfect for each other.

I must say, I was grasping at straws for a while but this site fully restored my faith in the Clerith pairing: http://liz-jen.com/soulmates/cloud_aeris/info.html

First:

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I personally think 3 weeks is plenty of time to fall in love with someone, especially when they're spending so much time together and with him being her bodyguard and all.

To each their own, I guess. If you think 3 weeks is enough to fall in love, then eight years should solidify it. And with that logic, Aerith loves Zack more.

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Also, Cait Sith's fortune-telling adds weight to the Clerith argument. Firstly in the Gold Saucer he predicts that Cloud will lose something dear. Then later, in the Temple of the Ancients, he declares that Aerith and Cloud are perfect for each other.

Considering Cait Sith is never usually right. Funny how no one will take that particular line with a grain of salt.

Fortune-reading is only as good as the people involved in it. Cloud isn't in his right mind - in fact, he's even worse at that point. What truth does the fortune really have? Furthermore, Cait Sith is a freakin' robot controlled by another man. This other man is clearly not a fortune-teller, but someone who's working from the "inside". He could have been making it up for all we know.

Cloud losing something dear is not equivalent to him losing a romantic partner. He could be losing a close friend, or maybe even his own sanity.

And finally, that site: I'm going to point out some things.

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She asked him to become her bodyguard and protect her from the Shinra who were trying to abduct her. Cloud agreed, and also accepted her offer of a date for payment, and helped her escape the Turks, a branch of spies from Shinra.

Aerith didn't ask; she nearly demanded. Cloud didn't outright agree, nor accept the date offer b/c at that point the Turks came in.

And didn't anyone notice? Aerith said the exact same thing Zack had: she offered a date as repayment. Zack said that to her more than five years ago. It also seemed like that because Zack had protected her, she was trying to mould Cloud into that same character as well.

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Look at Cloud in the beginning of the game. He's cold, uncaring, and selfish. Now look at him in any scene that Aeris is around. He seems much happier, doesn't he? He smiles, has fun, and cares about someone else.

Seriously? This is supposed to be evidence? Key words here - BEGINNING of the game. Cloud isn't himself. He's a hybrid of himself and Zack. The second part of the line doesn't even make sense... I wouldn't say that he smiles and has fun... considering he's pretty messed up (not that he knows). My feelings were that he always just put up with her antics. Cloud came off as... stoic.

Furthermore, almost every conversation they have seems to involve some link to Zack. Aerith is still clearly thinking about the guy.

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In the end of the game, when Cloud is in the lifestream, he looks up and smiles as he sees Aeris' hand coming towards him and then is dragged back to the real world where Aeris' hand is replaced by Tifa's as she reaches to help him up. He wanted to be with Aeris, that's why he smiled and reached for her hand. Cloud wanted to be with Aeris, he one true love.

Wow... that's quite the interpretation. How does reaching for him symbolize romance? The very fact alone that he's in the lifestream would make sense as to why he sees Aerith, and not say, Tifa. 'Cause, you know, she's not /dead/.

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(Everything about KH and KH2)

He was never searching for Aerith; she isn't his light. Apparently, as it might be quoted in the UOG, Tifa is actually his light. The only reason Aerith could talk to Cloud was because... I dunno - she was dead? No one else seemed to notice her, and her death affected Cloud the most (with guilt, not romance). Just like in AC, it'd make sense why only Cloud sees her.

And... just because they're in a game together doesn't mean they're together. Yuffie and Cloud show up together, would anyone consider them coupled? Or Cloud/Sephiroth? (Okay, maybe that one...)

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In the movie, Cloud was having trouble finding a reason to live and was wracked with guilt over failing Aeris.

Wow... wa to blatantly ignore the Zack-factor. Cloud was guilty for EVERYTHING, not just Aerith. For not being able to help Zack, not saving Aerith, not being able to find a cure... for having overall low self-esteem, and thinking himself as a complete failure - THOSE contributed to the "wracking" guilt.

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Aeris told him that she was happy that he came to see her.

No, she said: "You came, even though you're about to break. That's a good sign."

She was referring to Cloud arriving for the CHILDREN. Not her. Especially with the way the scenes are interplayed - Cloud and Aerith talking in between Cloud talking to Tifa and co. If one actually follows that conversation the way it's presented, Aerith refers to the fact that Cloud is making an attempt to go save the children, even though he's about to "break" (he thinks himself as an extreme failure).

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When he was in a battle later on in the movie, it was a vision of Aeris that gave him that extra bit of strength to keep going

Everyone helped equally. If it wasn't for everyone else, Cloud wouldn't have even made it that high.

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During his fight with Sephiroth, Cloud was asked what the thing that he cherished most was, and the first image we saw was of Aeris

Seriously? Oh for the love of...

If anyone notices, despite the fact that Aerith is 'first', Zack is followed immediately after, most likely relating to the chronological order of his guilt, and then images of his family and friends follow. And note, each flash is as long as the next. No one image outdoes the others.

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And in the end of the game, Cloud smiled as he saw Aeris and finally seemed... happy

He saw BOTH Zack and Aerith. AND - Cloud's final line is: "I'm not alone." Which means he's gotten over Aerith - he realizes there are other people around him.

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As the credits rolled, we saw images of Cloud riding his motorcycle and Aeris standing in a field. It is possible that he was able to see her?

Um, no. Considering during the whole ride, Cloud never once glances over his shoulder. If anything, Aerith is watching over him like the guardian angel that she is.

Wow... that whole article just distorted everything. It's as if the person played it thinking the game was a romance, when it clearly wasn't. Sad.

This forum on FFnet does a good job of countering other things related to Clerith (if you haven't already read it):

http://www.fanfiction.net/topic/2871/22546/1/