Originally Posted by Mitsuki Shiroi

After going through some sites and finding some ties between Aerith and the play, Loveless, I became intrigued by the idea for some time. But then I stopped thinking about it, not believing we’d ever get more information.

But when I started playing FFVII: Crisis Core, I stumbled upon a character named Genesis, a man who held a book in his hands, called Loveless, and quotes in every scene you see him in. Once again, I became interested, especially when I realized the entire tale Genesis was telling in his few short Loveless quotes.

I’ve translated his quoting very roughly, but here’s the general idea and the underlying thoughts I picked up on:

“The most profound mystery is the Gift of the Goddess and in pursuit of this gift we set on a journey and take flight. Hopeless as it may seem we stand and carry onward with the ripples of water that surface on our hearts.”

This can be interpreted in several ways, but it the thing that most struck me is that he likes to quote this particular passage when Sephiroth is in the vicinity or spoken of. The ‘Gift of the Goddess’ can be interpreted as the Promised Land, the land protected by the Ancients from Jenova.

So many people try to reach that particular spot, if you think about it. There’s Shinra, searching for it. Sephiroth thinking it belongs to him and him alone, as he believes himself to be a Cetra. It also seems hopeless, seeing as the last Cetra dies when Sephiroth kills her, and the ripples of water that surface on our hearts may be the pain inflicted by that loss on Cloud and the rest of his gang.

“Will you be taking flight? Towards the planet that hates us.”

Jenova crashes into Gaia and it’s fair to say she’s not liked by the Cetra when she starts wreaking havoc. Taking flight might also be seen in different contexts. Either she just went on her merry way to Gaia, or she was forced away from another planet to the next planet that hates her. Let’s not forget that one of the major factors is that the planet lives and that if the planet feels threatened, it will start to hate.

“Waiting for it to be received. A harsh tomorrow and rolling winds defy us.”

Waiting for it to be received is Sephiroth waiting for his clone to hand out the black materia to him. A harsh tomorrow awaits Cloud and the others when they go to confront him in the Northern Crater. The rolling winds are hearable when you go into the crater.

“For you it becomes quite usual to lose your dreams and pride. The Goddess herself has already let go of the arrow from her bow.”

I also see this about Sephiroth. Dreams and pride are big things for SOLDIERs, as demonstrated by Angeal Hewley and his continual speech about pride and dreams. He tells Zack never to let go of them and embrace them, as they should be a part of him. He has told Sephiroth the same things, but Sephiroth let go of those two things as soon as he found out that he was actually one of the ‘monsters’ he found in Nibelheim.

The Goddess (Minerva, as revealed in Crisis Core) lives inside the planet, so perhaps the ‘arrow’ they’re speaking of is the Lifestream and how it will stop Meteor. This is just a wild guess, other mights interpret this differently.

“When will the beasts of this world bring their fight to an end? From the dark sky, the Goddess comes whirling down. The door to the light opens to happiness, together with the gift of the Goddess.”

The beasts of this world might easily be seen as the SOLDIERs battling. It’s often been said, by Genesis, Sephiroth and at some point even Zack, that SOLDIERs are monsters. The fight between the three main ones, Genesis, Sephiroth and Zack (later Cloud) started during Zack’s time as a SOLDIER and has continued throughout the years. Even when Sephiroth was locked up, similarly to Genesis, both are waiting, spoiling for battle and to continue their course.

At the end of FFVII, Sephiroth is finally gone, but in Advent Children, he returns for a brief visit. And then there’s Genesis who breaks free three years after Sephiroth’s demise. Perhaps he will battle Cloud?

The door to light is most probably death and the return to the lifestream. During Zack’s death, he’s truly happy. He’s happy because he’s now a real hero, and he’s managed to save those he loves, including Cloud. He’s happy because he sees Angeal before grabbing his hand and bringing him back to the Lifestream.

The gift of the Goddess is yet again up to interpretation.

“Revenge is scared into my soul. Agonizing for its arrival our wishes become our relief. Sleep where you are equable.”

This again, points to Sephiroth. He is out for revenge, because he feels the humans were traitors and that Jenova was the good person, the Cetra. He wants to end the Planet and rule as the new ‘Jenova’ sort of speak. This is shown when he starts using Jenova for his purpose.

Also, ‘sleep where you are equable’. Sephiroth is asleep in the Northern Crater, waiting for the black materia to come to him...

“Wishing for tomorrow... my soul shatters. My pride is broke. My wing is broken. I am no longer able to fly...”

I think this is pretty clear.

“You were loved by the Goddess and shared none of her blessings. Even as heroes the world hates.”

Sephiroth is a hero turned wrong. He was loved at first, by the Goddess and the people of the planet. But when he found out about the truth of his existence, he blew up Nibelheim. And they started hating him.

“Your wish where life is fostered. The Gift of the Goddess is handed down. Your sacrifice and the world's end. Like the blowing winds over an unknown water surface---softly and certainly.”

Here is where I squeeled and pointed out that there was a connection between Aerith and Loveless.

“Your wish is where life is fostered.”

Sephiroth wants to be in the Northern Crater, because Jenova hit there centuries ago and the Lifestream had to collect there to heal Gaia. The Lifestream is still there and if another Meteor hits, he’s sure that it will surge up there again, and that’s where he’d most like to be.

“Your sacrifice and the world’s end.”

Zack’s death, most probably, seeing as Genesis likes to quote it to Zack. The sacrifice enabled Cloud to live. Cloud was there during the moments where it seemed the world would end and because of Zack’s sacrifice, Cloud was also there to stop Sephiroth.

“Like the blowing winds over an unknown water surface-- softly and certainly.”

I can’t interpret this in any other way than the waters connected to Aerith. The first connection might be her death and grave. She was put in a lake of water and returned to the lifestream. Secondly, the water that surged up in the church she took care of. The latter has unknown properties, seeing as it heals the Geostigma from the people and it seems Aerith is watching over that place, as she watches over Cloud and the others.

“In the tomorrow without promises, I swear I’ll definitely return to the place where you’re standing. A drop of the planet’s hope from ending land, the far side of the sky and the distant water surface become a secret offering.”

I think this passage is pretty clear too, especially when you realize it’s the final act of Loveless, the final sentences. Aerith’s part came to an end. Her grave became a secret offering to the planet; the last Cetra returns to the Lifestream and returns to the Planet.

I was hoping for more Loveless passages throughout the game, but Genesis only mentioned those ones, so I guess we’re missing a whole lot of the book. Perhaps more will be cleared up if we get another game with Genesis in it?

Originally Posted by Genesis