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Zerith was the past.

Zack and Aerith were a ‘puppy love’ that never got serious. The majority of the relationship was a retcon (a ‘retcon’ is when the creator’s change or add detail to something that wasn’t present in the original. If you played the original game FF7, what we know about Zerith is that;

(All quotes will be with in * * *)

1) Aerith tells Cloud that she and Zack weren’t serious

* * *

Aerith “Just the same as him.” Cloud “The same as who?” Aerith “My first boyfriend.” Cloud “You were… serious?” Aerith “No. But I liked him for a while.” Cloud “I probably knew him. What was his name?” (Aerith shakes her head.) Aerith “It doesn’t really matter.”

* * *

2) Zack was a ladies man.

* * *

Cloud “Missing?” Aerith “I think it was 5 years ago. He went out on a job, and never came back.” “He loved women, a real lady’s man. He probably found someone else…” * * *

3) Aerith admits they weren’t serious… AGAIN;

* * *

Aerith “What a shock….. I didn’t know Zack was from this town.” Cloud “You know him?” (She turns to Cloud) Aerith “Didn’t I tell you? He was my first love.” Cloud “…………” Aerith “Zack…. SOLDIER First Class. Same as Cloud.” Cloud “Strange, there aren’t that many who make First Class, but I’ve never heard of him.” (She turns back to the rock) Aerith “That’s all right. It’s all in the past now. I was just worried because I heard he’s been missing.”

* * *

4) Zack had no intention of returning to Aerith;

* * *

Zack “What’re you gonna do when we get to Midgar?” (Cloud continues to bob his head.) Cloud “………” (Zack stands) Zack “I know what I’m gonna do.” (He crosses his arms) Zack “I got a place I can crash for a while…” (He turns to Cloud) Zack “No wait, the mother lives there, too…” (He scratches his head.) Zack “Guess that’s out…” (He shakes his head. Cloud continues to bob his like nobody’s business.) Cloud “………” Zack “Yep… gotta change my plans!”

* * *

5) Aerith sees the difference between Zack and Cloud, and still loves Cloud;

* * *

Aerith “………first off, it bothered me how you looked exactly alike.” “Two completely different people, but look exactly the same.” “The way you walk, gesture…” “I think I must have seen him again, in you…” (She shakes her head) Aerith “But you’re different.” (She looks down again) Aerith “Things are different…” Aerith “Cloud…” “I’m searching for you…” Cloud “…………?” Aerith “I want to meet you.” Cloud “But I’m right here.” Aerith (I know, I know… what I mean is…) “I want to meet….. you.”

* * *

  That’s what we know of Zerith when we ONLY use the original game. Now let’s use some ultimanias, right? Right, here we go; The following excerpts are from a book called Kaitai Shinsho (otherwise known as Dismantled in the English world);

6) Aerith (again) admits that she and Zack were not ‘serious’ or 'intimate’ and even says that their relationship wasn’t good;

* * *

Aerith: “Although called my first love, that doesn’t mean that we (Zack & Aerith) became particularly intimate. I encountered him by chance as a flower vendor in Midgar. It was good for a little while, so I thought.” | DISMANTLED

* * *

7) Aerith (again) admits that Zack was a 'lady’s man’;

* * *

Aerith: “A friendly, childish SOLDIER, who gave kindness to women. I encountered Zack and began to think that even a good natured person was from Shinra.” | DISMANTLED

* * *

8) Aerith (AGAIN) admits to knowing the difference between Zack and Cloud and STILL says she loves Cloud more than she ever loved anyone else;

* * *

Aerith: “At first when I met Cloud, I believed he was similar to Zack. Little actions, the way he spoke… his kindness. But Cloud is Cloud. I, now undoubtedly, love Cloud much more than Zack.” | DISMANTLED

* * *

Still not good enough? Here are some more ultimania quotes;

9) Creator’s say Aerith has romantic feelings for Cloud;

* * *

* “Despite his cold behavior in several scenes, Cloud is essentially popular with members of the opposite sex. In addition to FFVII’s heroines Tifa and Aerith both having feelings for him,” - 10th ANNIVERSARY ULTIMANIA * “FFVII: Both Aerith, who is forthright, and Tifa, who is demure, have feelings for Cloud but he is none the wiser to them.” - CLOUD’S CHARACTER PROFILE, 10th ANNIVERSARY ULTIMANIA * “Both of them share feelings for Cloud — Tifa was close to Aerith, who can also be called a love rival. With that point in mind, they were also good friends. Nevertheless, it is not hard to imagine that she carries complex feelings as a woman toward Aerith, who had built up a special bond with Cloud that was different from Tifa’s.” -TIFA’S CHARACTER PROFILE, 10th ANNIVERSARY ULTIMANIA

* * *

10) Creator’s say that Aerith recognized that Cloud wasn’t himself but still had genuine love for him;

* * *

* “Even though Aerith perceived that Cloud had lost sight of his true self, she still has great affection for him. As an Ancient, Aerith had planned to accomplish the mission. On the one hand, her last concern is Cloud.” - AERITH’S CHARACTER PROFILE, 10th ANNIVERSARY ULTIMANIA * “So you won’t have a breakdown..” Aerith appears in Cloud’s dream, and she seems to console him with such advice. This line can infer that Aerith has seen through to the essence of Cloud. -PG.156 FFVII ULTIMANIA OMEGA * “Although in the beginning, Aerith felt close to Cloud because he behaved like Zack, her interest in Cloud himself grows and she is attracted to him.” -PG.31 FFVII ULTIMANIA OMEGA * When Aerith thinks of Cloud and Zack’s similarities, she sees that the present Cloud is not the real Cloud. Her meaningful lines like, “I’m searching for you” and “I want to meet you” all mean that she has discovered the existence of the real Cloud, although he’s not aware of it himself. ~page 31, FFVII Ultimania Omega * I’m looking for you.“…"So you won’t have a breakdown.” - what Aerith told Cloud reveals many deep meanings. Aerith detected that the present Cloud is not the real him during their encounters. She knows it because of her mysterious, inherent ability. ~page 29, FFVII Ultimania Omega

* * *

Ok… we probably need more, so here are some more ultimania quotes;

* * *   11) “Zack falls to the Church of the Slum during his mission and ends up meeting the girl Aerith, who’s trimming flowers. They both feel contented simply with each other’s company; it’s a platonic love. They think these kinds of happy days will last forever, but…. ”(Crisis Core Ultimania, Zack’s profile) 12) They attract to each other by mutual feelings similar to friendship, because they’re both juvenile, if you call it love… (Crisis Core Ultimania) 13) Q: Some parts we didn’t imagine from Aerith’s saying of “he’s my first love” in FF7 are depicted in CC. There are many FF7 fans who’re pleased about it. Nojima: The setting that “falling from the roof of the Church” repeats Aerith’s encounter with Cloud was decided in the beginning. Though we’re talking about love, they are still young and there’s no time to describe “how they become fond of each other” in the game. So I made it like “falling into a sudden crush.” Personally, the setting that Aerith’s “how about one date” to Cloud in FF7 reappears in Zack’s lines is the greatest joy to me. Even though this line was casually placed in FF7, I care a bit about the saying that “it was thoughtless of her to say that.” The way of having Aerith receive Zack’s words is a defense for her. (Crisis Core Ultimania, p. 579) * * * Now let’s look at the novellas, alright?

14) Aerith completely rejects Zack in the Lifestream (Maiden of the Planet);

* * *

Zack: “Man, you know Aerith. Out of all the girls I’ve gotten along with, you truly are the best. After that mission, we could’ve stayed the way we were and might have been able to continue to go out with each other after I returned home. I hate Sephiroth. And I hate Shinra who’s been hiding all the stuff they’ve been doing.” Aerith: “Someone who’s gotten along with so many girls can never become a lover.” Zack: “How mean. I’m nice to everyone.” Aerith: “And that’s your bad point. You’re not simplistic and awkward like Cloud.”

And here’s another quote

Zack: “But whenever you feel lonely, call me Aerith.” Aerith: “Only if I get really lonely. Goodnight, Zack.”

* * *

A few things to notice about the above;

1) Aerith says Zack’s bad traits is being a ladies man 2) Aerith says Cloud’s 'simplistic’ and 'awkward’ ways is what she loved about Cloud and she says this is why Cloud is better. 3) Zack asks Aerith to 'call him’ and she says no.

15) More about Aerith LOVING Cloud;

* * *

“Aerith was in even greater pain when she thought about Cloud. She also had good feelings towards him. At first, she thought he somehow had some similarities to her first love. Even so, his looks, voice and personality weren’t similar and he also made her think of him as a mysterious person… But it soon didn’t matter. She loved him much more than her first love. Cloud was her hero and he couldn’t get away from danger. She saw him as someone full of confidence, cool and had the impression that he would disappear in an instant if she took her eyes off him. She wanted to stay by his side forever if she could. She really wanted to.“ -MAIDEN OF THE PLANET

* * *

16) Aerith loved Cloud so much she wanted to stay by his side forever;

* * *

“When she left her companions and headed for the Forgotten City, Cloud’s heart was like an egg that was on the verge of cracking open. It wasn’t going to crack open like the way an egg hatched but, as if only the yolk was going to seep out of it. It was as if his mind was going to shatter. She wanted to comfort him. If she wasn’t the last survivor of the Cetra she probably would have done so without a doubt.” | Maiden of the Planet

* * *

17) Aerith loved Cloud so much, the thought of leaving him made her hesitate to leave, but ultimately it was the thought of saving CLOUD that gave her the strength to go on;

* * *

“That was where Aerith hesitated. Will she let all humans die or was she going to avoid such a disaster in exchange for her life… But she never did think about it and was already prepared. When she did hesitate about leaving Cloud in sorrow, she would think about how it wouldn’t save her companions or the people of the world. She had already made up her mind. There was no other choice. It was all for Cloud too. | Maiden of the Planet

* * *

18) Aerith was happy to learn about how strongly Cloud loved her, but in turn, his great pain caused her great pain because she loved him so much and didn’t want him to hurt;

* * *

“But a cry came through to her. It wasn’t the sound of her cry. If it was then she would have felt the blood gushing up through her throat and the fury that forced its way out from the depths of her soul– It was the sound of Cloud’s heart cracking. It was the cry of his heart that could never be healed of the grief he had towards Aerith’s death, the blame towards himself and the hatred he had for Sephiroth. She was surprised at the great sorrow he had for her. She was a little happy that he thought so much of her but she also felt the pain that was many times greater. There was nothing she could do about Cloud’s suffering and the pain ached in her heart. The pain continued even though she was in the Lifestream.”

* * *

19) Aerith misses the real Cloud;

* * *

“Aerith cried as she thought about the shattered Cloud that even her prayers wouldn’t reach. His wrecked character could no longer be fixed. If he wasn’t Cloud in the first place then, who was he? Knowing him only as a former member of Soldier, there was no way she could guess. She embraced the feeling of helplessness that she couldn’t put into words. “Cloud… I miss you. I miss the real you…” Her whispers and thoughts became expanded into waves and spread out in the Mako. Her memories of being with Cloud came to mind again. Her impression was that even though he wasn’t very social, there was some cheerfulness about him.

(Note: In this passage you’ll notice that when she starts to think of Cloud’s cheerfulness and his actions she awakens Zack)

But she couldn’t figure out the truth. Her thoughts just went in circles. Aerith delved into her memories again. Memories that showed Cloud’s individuality. The way he walked. She remembered all his actions one by one… Most of those thoughts merged into the Sea of Mako and awakened a character. The character recognized the image she recalled and “he” woke up.”

* * *

20) Aerith is happy to know the 'real’ Cloud;

* * *

“She was happy. She was happy that she now knew the real Cloud and was able to watch over him, even though it was just for a short while.”

* * *

^All of those quotes are from MAIDEN OF THE PLANET.

Still not good enough to put Zerith to rest?

Take Nojima’s statement;

* * * JAPANESE: クラウドは女の友人であり、恋人であり FRENCH: “Cloud avait ete son ami, et son amant” GERMAN: “Cloud war ihr Freund, ihr Geliebter” English translation: “Cloud was the woman’s friend, and lover…” * * *

Zerith was the past. 

Their love was juvenile and 'platonic’. 

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