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OtWtaS – Lifestream Black & Lifestream White

by May 3, 2009 0 comments

A big thanks to Hitoshura who has now finished translating the new installment from the On the Way to a Smile book; the Lifestream White and Lifestream Black chapters.

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  1. null
    #1 null 3 May, 2009, 06:46

    Thanks hito and Mako.

    First off, the Clephiroth undertones are staggering.

    Second, this seems like the basic idea of Maiden and removed the runny eggs.

    Reply to this comment
  2. A
    #2 A 3 May, 2009, 06:49

    I’m still thinking of you. And I’ll show you the proof of that as well.
    -Sephiroth

    Clephiroth?

    Also, not sure what to think about this novella.

    Thanks for the translations hito and Mako. 🙂

    Reply to this comment
  3. Tennyo
    #3 Tennyo 3 May, 2009, 06:51

    Aha, that was quite an interesting read, and a hundred times better than that piece of crap, Maiden. w00t

    The ending seemed rather clever. A clear reference to the Aerith date. Last line seems rather ambiguous, though. Does that mean that Aerith decided to not make her own remnants because she wanted to talk to Cloud herself?

    Also Sephiroth is such a creeper in this story. “I’m still thinking of you. And I’ll show you the proof of that as well.” Just wtf CREEPY!!!! XD

    Reply to this comment
    • FFfiend54
      FFfiend54 8 August, 2009, 07:11

      I know Sephiroth is such a lurk lol
      He never gives up but Cloud still beats him anyway so the creeper dies…
      again

  4. Kelly20
    #4 Kelly20 3 May, 2009, 06:52

    whoa…hmmm..I dunno what to think of this.. ..Sephy is quite obsessive.. lol

    Thank you Hito for translating!!! 😉

    Reply to this comment
  5. Edley
    #5 Edley 3 May, 2009, 06:52

    Good work Gents… nothing really shocking here, dead Aerith motivated by her love for Cloud, dead Sephy motivated for his hatred for Cloud; yet in the end it’s the barmaid who gets his attention 😛 Too Bad for the pink and silvers.

    Reply to this comment
    • A
      A 3 May, 2009, 06:54

      You’re right, because it’s Clack in the end. :awesome:

    • Right...
      Right... 10 May, 2009, 19:46

      Riight, because Cloud really notices Tifa, he’s been living with her for years and yet…nothing has happened, no relationship, no emotions from his side shown, just him thinking of Aerith. He’s friends with Tifa and ifa cares for him deeply but, I don’t see him giving the same feelings of love and devotion back.

      And protecting Tifa does not mean he loves her, she’s his friend of course he’ll protect her, just like he would with anyone else.

    • Makoeyes987
      Makoeyes987 Author 10 May, 2009, 20:02

      He sure does notice her. And yeah, totally no emotion from Cloud at all, with the blushing, smiling, and saying that their being together is different now. Uh huh… Because moving in and starting a family with someone is “nothing.”

      Yeah, he’s so thinking of Aerith all the time. What with him promising to be there with Tifa and blushing and smiling. And him wanting to protect Aerith doesn’t mean he loves her either. Way to go at totally ignoring reality and substituting your own.

    • Chris
      Chris 8 August, 2009, 13:16

      FYI, Barret & Marlene also live inside 7th Heaven, and maybe even the whole crew of FFVII. So how can you just count Cloud’s moving in as a sign of, “Ohhh I like you Tifa”??? Family does not mean Cloud is Dad or something, wtheck lol. It’s more like, the whole crew is family. That picture in AC where Cloud is w/ Tifa, and the 2 kids, it could mean they’re close but its for the kids man. It’s platonic between them. Right beside that picture, is yellow flowers and a whole bunch of pictures of the yellow flower field at the end of AC. So maybe theres a place/someone Cloud visits often eh?

    • Raquelborn
      Raquelborn 24 May, 2009, 15:29

      Read the revised version of Case of Tifa. It shows Cloud’s state deteriorating but in the first 3 pages or so but there are obvious signs he feels more than platonic love for Tifa eg. there’s some blushing going on, Cloud saying how he now has her and it’s ‘kind of different’ this time, Cloud going out of his way to surprise her with rare ingredients etc. At the end there’s also a little conversation in which they are discussing whether Cloud loves ‘Marlene’ but it’s obvious they’re not just talking about her alone; he says yes but that he sometimes doesn’t know how to approach ‘her’. Hmmm…

      She also appears more than once in his flashbacks of what he cares about most when he’s stabbed by Sephiroth, whereas Aerith appears only once (though this may have changed in ACC… we’ll see).

      To be honest we need Square Enix to either show them kissing, Cloud full-on admitting feelings for one or the other, or giving us some super ‘clerith’ footage that will force us to conclude he actually loved Aerith all along. I don’t think we’ll get it though because SE suck like that.

    • Exhorresco
      Exhorresco 28 July, 2009, 10:41

      thats true but i doubt squenix wuld show dem kissin

    • FFfiend54
      FFfiend54 8 August, 2009, 07:16

      It’s true Square Enix never showed a scene for a Cloti moment but an idea where both of them came out of a chocobo stable and Tifa was looking around was suggested but it was rejected because it was considered too extreme. I think Cloud cares about Tifa, as more than just a friend, and in AC he is trying to find out his true personality, since he was living like he was Zack for years.

    • Chris
      Chris 8 August, 2009, 13:07

      I think thats BS. Cloud found himself at the end of FFVII and was getting to know himself during the on a way to a Smile or Case of Tifa stories. He was only living like Zack for not even years, it was only in that segment of the FFVII original game :S. I did think it strange for Cloud to be blushing (?) a couple times when talking to Tifa? But blushing is a sign of embarrassment, doesn’t necessarily always mean ‘he likes her’ :/. To Raquelborn, Cloud thinks of Aeris, then the kids, then Tifa, only once each my friend, that’s it. There is no thinking of Tifa “afew more” than whoever. :/.

    • uu
      uu 5 January, 2010, 00:04

      actually, aerith is seen twice when cloud was about to be stabbed by sephiroth…the first was in the forgotten city and second was when he reached her hand in the fight with bahamut sin.

    • Raquelborn
      Raquelborn 7 January, 2010, 03:02

      And at the end of the movie when it’s going through all the characters (once each) as Cloud rides his bike, we are given three shots of Tifa and two of Aerith (and also two of Zack).

      Does that mean anything as well? To be honest it’s hardly worth looking at, it’s only interesting for the sake of it, just like the flashes before Sephiroth attempts to maim him.

  6. fairheartstrife
    #6 fairheartstrife 3 May, 2009, 06:53

    Thanks for the translations. And yes, the Clephiroth undertones were staggering…

    Also, “Cloud was her friend, her beloved — a symbol of what was important to her, and someone to be protected.” Uhm…hi, physical representation of Zack. Let me look after you. Which actually makes perfect sense. 🙂

    Reply to this comment
    • Right...
      Right... 10 May, 2009, 19:48

      Cloud isn’t Zack, he didn’t become Zack, he just took on some memories and traits, but he didnt believe he lived in Gongaga and dated Aerith so no,Cloud didn’t become Zack.

    • Makoeyes987
      Makoeyes987 Author 10 May, 2009, 19:57

      Cloud is a “living legacy” of Zack though, which is the implication right there. No one said he was Zack. He’s just a symbol of him and a representation of his importance, since…he’s Zack’s living legacy.

    • Chris
      Chris 8 August, 2009, 13:26

      My opinion is that both Aeris and Cloud are living legacies of Zack. Yeah, Zack was a good hero story legacy etc., but his story is in the past, and it’s because of him that Aeris and Cloud were able to become the people they were in FFVII original and defeat Sephiroth and save the world. Zack will definately be remembered though, he contributed to alot of the history of FFVII original and its characters.

    • aerith cloud
      aerith cloud 24 October, 2009, 11:21

      Yes, i agree with Chris said. if FF& remake from original. Aerith will be a main female character and defeat sephy together

  7. Isabella
    #7 Isabella 3 May, 2009, 06:54

    Great job, hito. I agree with null’s assessment — the “white” part is a streamlined Maiden. I’m chuckling at how obsessed with Cloud Sephiroth is.

    Reply to this comment
  8. Zephyr
    #8 Zephyr 3 May, 2009, 06:55

    Whoa Sephy…take a step back from the Cloud pills…same to you Aerith…

    I actually think I prefer MoTP….at least that is continuous with the Zack appearance in ACC…now its just feels random…

    Reply to this comment
    • KissTheRain
      KissTheRain 26 May, 2009, 21:32

      Well people do crazy things when they are in love, and hate for that matter. 9.9

      I don’t think this is exactly competition for Maiden, just maybe a side note. But then again it could mess with the chronilogical order of it all, so idk. If Zack would appear I think it would be out of order for the writing style for all of this. It is showing Sephiroth and Aerith’s thoughts (Unless they are talking to themselves. XD) and if Zack came in, there would be conversation. And plus it would mess with the intended theme. Now “The story of light vs. dark…and Zack” just doesn’t seem right to me…0.0

      (Psh, btw did you get your name from the book “The tenth circle” :])

  9. null
    #9 null 3 May, 2009, 06:59

    I like the idea of Aerith remnants for communication. They could have been young girls that Cloud picks up among the orphans.

    It’s better than her mentally distracting him while he’s driving a motorcycle.

    Reply to this comment
    • fairheartstrife
      fairheartstrife 3 May, 2009, 07:02

      I always thought that was poor timing…and more his doing than hers. You know, driving through the Sleeping Forest…on the way to where your friend (the one you’re so guilty over you can’t emo properly even) dies, and in thinking about her, he triggers that scene. Maybe I’m over thinking it. 😛

  10. CelesChere
    #10 CelesChere 3 May, 2009, 07:01

    Thanks, you guys. This was very interesting to read- I actually thought Sephiroth’s part was boring, though. I really liked the Aerith portion. 😉

    I really enjoyed the part about Aerith saying she wanted to appear as Cloud remembered her. Though, I gotta wonder if she had chosen the other way, what would have happened? XDD

    Reply to this comment
  11. null
    #11 null 3 May, 2009, 07:13

    Kind of funny that Seph chased her off his porch. Shoo!

    Reply to this comment
    • fairheartstrife
      fairheartstrife 3 May, 2009, 07:16

      “Get offa my lawn, damn Cetra!”

    • BWAngel
      BWAngel 3 May, 2009, 07:52

      Pardon me for adding:

      “You’re causing happiness, and making flowers grow!”

      On another note, and if I interpreted it right, a person’s memories actually make up his/her spirit energy. So basically, the nice (or more human) Sephiroth we knew in CC pre-Nibelheim did technically die when he was tossed into the reactor. Or am I just making up what I want to see.

    • Tennyo
      Tennyo 3 May, 2009, 10:30

      This has got to be the funniest image to ever grace my imagination. XD

  12. Ryushikaze
    #12 Ryushikaze 3 May, 2009, 07:40

    I’m quite interested in all the Cetra around that Aerith can contact. Another stab to the mangled corpse of maiden, which had not even her mother around.

    But yes, Aerith loves Cloud. Woo…

    The interesting bit was Sephypoo destroying who he is to keep hold of himself.

    Reply to this comment
    • BWAngel
      BWAngel 3 May, 2009, 08:00

      Oookay, so the LTD isn’t over? And I will comment, I am a bit disappointed that Zack didn’t show up, but he and Angeal must be a little busy *winks*.

    • CelesChere
      CelesChere 3 May, 2009, 08:37

      Lol, I did NOT need that image.

    • BWAngel
      BWAngel 3 May, 2009, 09:22

      *giggles* Sorry.

    • Reference
      Reference 3 May, 2009, 09:28

      Everybody loves Cloud. Some are even obsessed with him. ;D

  13. Dark & Divine
    #13 Dark & Divine 3 May, 2009, 08:15

    Thanks for this, Hito and Mako! 🙂

    That was quite interesting to read!

    Reply to this comment
  14. Ahvia
    #14 Ahvia 3 May, 2009, 08:15

    Thanks so much, this was incredibly fascinating!
    Sephiroth’s deal with Cloud having him in his memories reminds me a lot of their dialogue in Kingdom Hearts II, though I can’t recall it all right now it had very similar implications, about Cloud always calling Sephiroth back from within himself. pretty awweessome.
    I also like the thought of Sephiroth picking through an assortment of possible avatars and being like “CLOSE ENOUGH ::makes a kadaj::”

    Poor Aerith, she’s still so busy. If she’s having to react to things as they happen, it kind of explains why she wasn’t able to magically help out with geostigma a lot sooner.

    Reply to this comment
    • Chris
      Chris 8 August, 2009, 13:33

      Aww youre right :[ lol. Aww I didn’t think of that before, that maybe, she was so busy healing etc. maybe thats why she came around the middle of the movie or so. I love you Aeris! XD

  15. looneymoon
    #15 looneymoon 3 May, 2009, 10:56

    Wow, these stories are actually pretty cool, and explain a hell of alot of ambiguity in the compilation. I’d even venture to say that this is probably my favourite OTWTAS entry so far.

    Still can’t wait to see Case of Shinra. Keep up the good work, translators 😀

    Reply to this comment
    • Chris
      Chris 8 August, 2009, 13:37

      Yes, thank you so much for translating these! :D. I also agree, it helped me explain many things about AC that now make way more sense (like the how Sephiroth created Kadaj etc). Also, now I know Aeris does love Cloud ^^. Thanks. 🙂

  16. Melody
    #16 Melody 3 May, 2009, 11:16

    Agh please don’t squish names, they sound awful and don’t even make sense!
    But, this just proves how obsessed Seph and Cloud are with each other and I don’t believe it’s all hate–FoeYay for the win!

    Reply to this comment
  17. Shademp
    #17 Shademp 3 May, 2009, 11:29

    I wonder exactly how “complete” Sephiroth was when he got a new body in ACC. Did all his memories return? Were those old memories completely destroyed/dissolved forever?

    Reply to this comment
    • Ravynne
      Ravynne 4 May, 2009, 03:26

      It does sound like that— that his memories would return.

      “…if they come across someone who knows me, then from that spirit I can learn of who I once was. And with Mother’s further assistance, I can become fully real. Even if there’s something lacking, it doesn’t matter. Cloud will make me complete.”

      Or maybe what he means is that Kadaj needs to come into contact with someone who remembers what Sephiroth looked like in order for Sephiroth to regain his own appearance, since he forgets what he looked like. (Lolwhups, was that memory important?)

      I wonder if this is what was happening when Kadaj kneels in front of Rufus and we see flashes of Sephiroth. (“But sir…surely you’ve noticed.”) I always thought it was Rufus realizing “OSHIT THIS GAI LOOKS LIEK SEPHYKINS.” But Rufus knew what Sephiroth looked like, so maybe Kadaj was somehow accessing Rufus’s memory of Sephiroth’s appearance, which Kadaj or his cells (or Jenova’s cells?) later use(s) for him to take on Sephiroth’s appearance.

      …Which would make me also ask, why the HELL did they not make that clearer sooner if they knew that long ago that that’s what was going on and what needed to be done?

    • Cthulhu
      Cthulhu 4 May, 2009, 20:34

      Perhaps Cloud’s just seeing shit, =D.

      That would explain a lot, really, and knowing that Cloud has a history of mental illness.

      Some points:

      * Nobody (besides the viewer) sees him fight with Seph
      * He doesn’t die / isn’t injured at the end of the movie.
      * Random flashbacks of dead wimmen.
      * Speaks to swords / dead dudes
      * Emos in a church, probably talks to himself there as well

      The second point is the strongest one – he gets stabbed, stabbed again, shot, cut up, and OVER NINE THOUSAAAND!111ed, but looks just fine a few minutes later, hair and all.

    • Raquelborn
      Raquelborn 24 May, 2009, 15:12

      Tifa, Cid, Barret, Yuffie, Vincent, Red XIII and Cait Sith all see him fighting Sephiroth from Cid’s plane.

    • Jamie
      Jamie 11 September, 2010, 20:24

      In ACC, you can see all of the injuries that Cloud has sustained. And Aerith ends up healing him in sorts while his spirit’s in limbo in the Lifestream.

    • Bonbon
      Bonbon 26 February, 2012, 16:59

      OMG did you just make a DBZ reference?

  18. Tetsujin
    #18 Tetsujin 3 May, 2009, 15:00

    That was interesting. Thanks, Hitoclito. :monster:

    So the appearance of the Shinentai was picked out of the memories in the Lifestream?
    So I guess we had a real Kadaj etc. walking around the planet once upon a time. Probably without silver hair and cat eyes though.

    Reply to this comment
  19. Cloud
    #19 Cloud 3 May, 2009, 15:03

    lol actually everyone who meet cloud fall in love with him
    i bet after 2-3 years there will also be cleiss and clenesis’ fans around the world.

    Reply to this comment
    • BWAngel
      BWAngel 3 May, 2009, 16:27

      Ooooh boy, now you’ve started something.

    • Tennyo
      Tennyo 4 May, 2009, 09:30

      lol Maybe Weiss will insert himself all shirtless into his mind just like Sephritoh did. I mean, Weiss has no shirt to begin with. XD

  20. Ranea
    #20 Ranea 3 May, 2009, 16:25

    …Well if all this is true about Seph needing Cloud to exist…why the hell would he keep trying to kill him in Advent Children?

    I’m disappointed that Aerith chickened out. She and Sephy had a lot of things to work out. What makes her so special that she gets to decide who can stay an individual in the LS, and who doesn’t? She’s not Minerva, after all. Sephy has just as much right to exist as she does.

    Reply to this comment
    • Ryushikaze
      Ryushikaze 3 May, 2009, 20:42

      He’s not trying to kill Cloud. He wants Cloud to SUFFER. And presumably, he can sustain himself after his advent.

    • LordNoctis
      LordNoctis 3 May, 2009, 21:06

      As I understand it, Sephiroth only needs Cloud to exist while he’s in the lifestream. Once he has a body in the physical world the lifestream can no longer try to dissolve him, therefore he no longer needs Cloud.

    • Blazing782
      Blazing782 5 May, 2009, 03:16

      oh i thought it was awesome how Aerith tried to confront Sephiroth’s spirit but he was just too much for her and chased her away and mocked her attempt. I don’t think she chickened out, i think thats just Sephiroth for you…

      And she doesn’t decide who gets to keep their spirit intact, she just can do it herself because she is an ancient.

    • MaidenofWar
      MaidenofWar 5 May, 2009, 19:41

      Aerith is special~ That’s the point. Besides she was just helping people, what exactly is so bad about that? She was curing/healing people as she could – because yeah as a Cetra/Ancient that is something she can do. She may not be Minerva but she’s still a Cetra. Plus she follows the will of the planet for the most part – you think the planet wants Sephy hanging around? 😛

    • Chris
      Chris 8 August, 2009, 13:41

      Good point ^^ 🙂

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