LTD Who did Aerith love?

[Vivi]

There's this quote from Rufus in Case of Shinra.

So my spirit will become one with the Lifestream that courses through this Planet. I wonder if father will be there too. Does consciousness have a shape? No, such a powerful flow of energy would shatter the consciousness of any single human being easily.

I'm not sure if it's actually true, or just speculation from him. During the first scene with Bugenhagen, it sounded like people actually did lose their identities in order to become something else. But I always thought that SOLDIERS can hang on longer, since they have Jenova cells. Sephiroth still remained conscious after dying twice, and Angeal hung on in order to help Zack. But they both had a reason to hang on. I figured that once Zack knew that Cloud would be okay after AC, that he let himself be absorbed by the lifestream. However, I'm unsure if Zack was conscious the entire time, or if Aeris brought him back for a moment to help Cloud.

 

[Makoeyes987]

It's speculation but it makes sense. The stronger the emotion, the longer they will endure and not pass on/disappear. As long as they have a strong reason or purpose to exist, they won't pass on.

See the "unsent" of FFX as examples of said phenomenon.

But still my point though is that the Lifestream has more to it than just being the energy that flows through the planet. Before a spirit finally looses itself and becomes part of another life force, there's more to its existence than that, I'd say.

 

[Marle]

I figured that once Zack knew that Cloud would be okay after AC, that he let himself be absorbed by the lifestream. However, I'm unsure if Zack was conscious the entire time, or if Aeris brought him back for a moment to help Cloud.

This probably makes the most sense, actually.

 

[Ryushikaze]

It starts reminding me of that really disturbing cloud and aerith fanfiction where cloud has sex with aerith's ghost/dead body/lifestream juice.

So yeah, I'm getting creeped out. Just a little. D: YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BLAME ME FOR THAT THO. D:

Okay, we went from my going 'So they can have a friendly chat' to 'Cloud drinks Lifestream Pee fanfic'
Welcome to free association theater, folks.
Like I said, at this moment, I'm going down a tangent. This is not directly related to whether she loves Zack if they can bump ectoplasmic uglies, but whether Zack will necessarily 'be mush' and whether the dead can have each other for tea and crumpets.

YYH has nothing to do with anything here wat

Dead people talking with other dead people. That's what it has to do with this.

It just sounds like lame shipper logic trying to "pair" two people together just cause.

Zack doesn't have a purpose in the afterlife besides becoming a tree or something

Aeris is now a guardian to the living.

Besides I think they're both over it and okay with that.

Regardless of purpose, they are conscious. Maybe they get bored. Maybe they have a chat. They've HAD chats. Why's it so bizarre they'd keep chatting?

can this be the new thread title pls

I'll consider it.

We really don't know *what* happens to the actual consciousness on the metaphysical level in FFVII, from the perspective of the actual spirit in the Lifestream.

I mean, yeah, we know that physically, their life force cycles the planet as Lifestream and eventually recycles itself to create new life, but that's only half of what happens from the perspective of the living.

The Lifestream isn't the "end" of anything, even if they're dead. In FFX the "Farplane" is the collective home of the dead of Spira. A collection of nothing but pyreflies, but it yields itself to a metaphysical and physical location. An afterlife. We see that with the Fayth, the pyreflies and all those inhabitants of Dream Zanarkand. In FFVII we see that the inside of the Lifestream is hardly just a green river that flows through the crust of the earth. There's more to it than that.

Aerith and Zack somehow being able to communicate and actually interact with each other consciously is not a ridiculous notion at all.

Also, THEY'VE DONE SO. IN THE MOVIE.

There's this quote from Rufus in Case of Shinra.

I'm not sure if it's actually true, or just speculation from him. During the first scene with Bugenhagen, it sounded like people actually did lose their identities in order to become something else. But I always thought that SOLDIERS can hang on longer, since they have Jenova cells. Sephiroth still remained conscious after dying twice, and Angeal hung on in order to help Zack. But they both had a reason to hang on. I figured that once Zack knew that Cloud would be okay after AC, that he let himself be absorbed by the lifestream. However, I'm unsure if Zack was conscious the entire time, or if Aeris brought him back for a moment to help Cloud.

Bugen's probably not wrong. But the process probably isn't instantaneous, either. Aerith will eventually fade away too. She's holding on because it's her duty. Zack's holding on for some other reason too.

It's speculation but it makes sense. The stronger the emotion, the longer they will endure and not pass on/disappear. As long as they have a strong reason or purpose to exist, they won't pass on.

See the "unsent" of FFX as examples of said phenomenon.

But still my point though is that the Lifestream has more to it than just being the energy that flows through the planet. Before a spirit finally looses itself and becomes part of another life force, there's more to its existence than that, I'd say.

I wouldn't just say. It pretty much is. That they can be woken up and revamped etc. means there's a gradual thing and there's shit to do post-mortem.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

What about those funny people you follow in the temple of the Ancients? Who are they? Right now I have this feeling that they are like the incarnated spirits of dead Ancients, but their functionality in the world is limited to watching over the Temple; they're maybe a bit like golems. Cute golems.

 

[Makoeyes987]

That's kinda what they are. They're unsent. They've remained so long that their spirits are deteriorating and they can't really do much else.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

They've HAD chats. Why's it so bizarre they'd keep chatting?

Cloud and Aerith have HAD chats. Why's it so bizarre they'd keep chatting?

 

[Wolfmania]

So my spirit will become one with the Lifestream that courses through this Planet. I wonder if father will be there too. Does consciousness have a shape? No, such a powerful flow of energy would shatter the consciousness of any single human being easily.

Sephiroth and Cloud would like to have a word with you Rufus

 

[Ryushikaze]

Cloud and Aerith have HAD chats. Why's it so bizarre they'd keep chatting?

Well, mostly that it's established in COL black and white that making contact with the upper world is a rather difficult proposition and narratively the end of AC/C suggests Aerith and Zack are leaving on a more or less permanent basis.
Otherwise, sure, Zack and Aerith could probably keep Obi-wan'ing with Cloud.

Between ghosts in the lifestream, there's no such barrier to conversation.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

Well, mostly that it's established in COL black and white that making contact with the upper world is a rather difficult proposition and narratively the end of AC/C suggests Aerith and Zack are leaving on a more or less permanent basis.
Otherwise, sure, Zack and Aerith could probably keep Obi-wan'ing with Cloud.

Between ghosts in the lifestream, there's no such barrier to conversation.

Yeah, what with all the conversations zack and aerith had in colw oh wait.

Basically what this seems to be boiling down to is 'Can Zack and Aerith have a continuing relationship' and the answer is, plain and simple, no they cannot.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Yeah, what with all the conversations zack and aerith had in colw oh wait.

Basically what this seems to be boiling down to is 'Can Zack and Aerith have a continuing relationship' and the answer is, plain and simple, no they cannot.

You say, actually based in defiance of the evidence. In COLW, Aerith can interact with and talk with other dead people, other dead people who can themselves talk with other dead people. She can perceive the actions of Sephiroth. In AC/C she interacts with Zack directly.
How, exactly, does this result in a 'cannot?'

If you want to argue 'do not' that is another thing. But you are declaring that the dead, existing in a communal afterlife cannot interact and have interpersonal relationships of any kind, which is something that can happen from the evidence we have seen.
A major conflict of COLW and COLB is around the dead being aware of each other and the actions of each other, and furthering plans.
But having a social unlife is out of the question, for some unexplained reason.