Originally Posted by Dragon Mage

I must read that some time. I'm afraid I gave up reading those things not a quarter of the way through the 'denzel' story. OMG, spare me the agony of having to read that again....

You should - simply because I think its often misinterpreted by factions looking for one line answers. Aeris says she loves Cloud's romantically in the first few paragraphs, ergo, Aeris' love in AC towards Cloud is romantic. Not true. The whole drive of Maiden is to show how Aeris, romantically smitten in FF7 could change to the more maternal protective power she is in Advent Children; it shows how she grows and comes to comprehend the truth about Cloud (that we see in FF7 after she dies) and how she starts to realise that her feelings for Cloud were made up of her residual feelings for Zack, given he was effectively role playing Zack. She learns to appreciate Cloud for who he truly is but understands his destiny is with Tifa, something she blesses, which leads her into the distant guardian she is in Advent Children. It also shows Zack appearing to her and her initial reproach to him (bear in mind this was obviously written before Crisis Core). He stands patiently for her to come to terms with what Maiden has told the audience; that Aeris' ideas of who Cloud is, are essentially confused nuances that she carries for Zack. While Maiden doesn't end with Aeris coming to terms with her past, Zack is waiting patiently for her to sort through her confusion.

This is actually a very pro CloudxTifa piece (as The Compilation is), but the fact that ALL the commpendiums ignore it and the fact it wasn't written by any of the official team, does make its relevance a little dubious. It makes a nice filler to show Aeris' progression, but really doesn't tell us anything we couldn't have worked out ourselves given our understanding of Aeris and the events of FF/AC. The biggest problem for me is the fact it doesn't really follow through with the heavy romantic overtones of Crisis Core makes it a poor resolution to their fairy tale romance, and I suspect that's why the Compilation has since ignored this little prologue.

Crisis Core finds a better resolution in AC than Maiden - I think ignoring Maiden's concept of Aeris' being all huffy with Zack, the guy she wears pink in memory and hope for, makes AC's reunion of Aeris and Zack a lot more satisfying. We don't get to know how they interact, just simply they are together there, and I think that makes for a far more satisfying end to the romance of Crisis Core - an unspoken reunion which the audience can fill the gaps in!

Tuthfully, this is just my opinon, the term 'slut' has no basis in this game/argument whatsoever, and should therefor be promptly abandoned. If Cloud and Tifa (or Cloud and Aeris, take yer pick) kissed once in the course of the game (which I believe to be the extent of sexual intent in that particular scene) does not immediately render either girl a 'slut'. It is an improper use of the term, and was used only because of highly biased and offended fanboys. Thus, it's use should be discontinued.

I agree wholeheartedly.


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it depends on how you play the game.


If you are rude to Tifa, but nice to Aerith, you get Aerith.
Rude to Aerith, get Tifa.
And so on.

Thank you, for stating the blatantly obvious. We are all indebted to you.


(Thank you ChocoBongo. I shall read Maiden when I get the chance.)

I'd say that, Cloud reminded Aerith of Zack, (Who at the point when this happens, Zack is gone and she misses him,) so she somehow felt that connection to him, but at the end of AC, she actually meets with Zack at the end and they are like together. (At least, that's what I think.)

With Tifa, I'd say, that after Aerith dies, Cloud and Tifa get a lot closer, especially when they are in the lifestream together, and most definately the scene at the very end of disc 2, where they are on the Highwind alone together, after Cloud sends everybody off to find out what they were fighting for.

So to sum up my opininon, on the first disc, before Sephiroth kills Aerith, Cloud would be with Aerith, but afterwards, he starts bonding a lot more with Tifa.

Indeed, this progressionism you've stated, Zaiku, has been observed before. The general idea was that a theme of FF7 was 'moving on' if you will. Cloud likes Aerith, she dies, he moves on with life. In fact, this melds very well with the overarching theme of the game itself: Life. One cannot live while hung up on the past.

Oh, my bad, to be honest, I didn't read ALL of the posts, I may have missed that one.

lol, no this was mentioned on some other forum. ^^

As you know Cloud, at the beginning of the story, is mentally confused from being experimented on by Hojo. And Aeris still suffers emotional pains from losing Zack 5 years earlier and Tifa still, and always has, loves Cloud. But my question is do Cloud and Aeris love each other? Cloud, at first, began his path to become a soldier because he felt at fault for being unable to protect someone he cared about, Tifa. Yet as he lost his memory and forgot why he even wanted to become a SOLDIER, did those feelings go away? Because it seemed like it did when he met Aeris. Now did Aeris really like Cloud for who he was? Because only Tifa really knew Cloud. I believe that Aeris was in love (maybe not love who knows?) with the idea of Cloud because he was so similar to Zack who also fell on her flowerbed wearing the same uniform, carrying the same sword, and both who state are in SOLDIER. Get the idea? Now how does Cloud feel about Aeris? Its very hard to say. When I first played the game, I thought, after beating the game, that Cloud had fallen for Aeris and was trying avenge her. But it was guilt. Advent Children made this very clear. The reason he was always thinking of her was because of his guilt, not love. Cloud's guilt also hinders upon his and Tifa's relationship as we see in the movie. I just want to know if you agree or disagree and if so why?

I think Cloud did love Aeris and vice versa - I think maybe originally Aeris was drawn to him because of Zack and the similarities but in the end it was he who she loved (Maiden kinda proves this aswel *ty to moonchild for that one*)

Feelings fade over time and also because of all the experiments that were done on him, Cloud just no longer felt that way for Tifa & Tifa didn't actually have any romantic feelings for Cloud until he actually left Nibelheim anyway & I wouldn't say she knew him that well as he was the outcast of the group really.

I also expect that Aeris' feelings for Zack also faded over time - seeing Cloud probably stirred them a little but in the end I think it was HIM she fell for as tbh, personality wise Zack and Cloud weren't really alike. Sure there gestures were similar & the clothing etc but Zack was way more extraverted

*im having dejavu here with this post*

Originally Posted by Bono

*im having dejavu here with this post*

That's because we already have a similar thread: http://www.finalfantasyforums.net/fi...ead-13208.html



But anyway, it all depends on one's opinions. I do believe that Cloud did love Aerith, however. So I think it was really a combination of both: love and guilt.

Gosh, I've posted my views so many times regarding this matter that it's hard to keep up sometimes. Anyway, I might add more later.