So who can see Aerith and when and why and stuff?

[Clement Rage]

If we ever did get a story about the Cetra I'd expect them to be nothing like any of the information we have, really. It's been 2,000 years, the information the modern world has would be garbled translated and re translated legends.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Cetra that summoned the meteor 2,000 years ago in the first place, for instance.

Dirge's cosmology stands up fine, IMO. Zirconiade is a bit shakier though.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I can get my mind wrapped around Zirconiade, I think. As a reset button of sorts for the planet.

Granted, that feels redundant of Holy, but Holy isn't -- as far as we know -- a biological mechanism for the planet in the same way as Omega, Chaos, Zirconiade, etc. I'm just speculating, of course, but I took the understanding that both Meteor and Holy arose from human memories that crystallized into materia.

 

[Clement Rage]

Holy just destroys threats to the Planet, IIRC. Zirconiade just wipes out all life with no hint of rebirth. Redundancies are fine, the Planet needs to account for things going wrong with its default options, but what it gains from Zirconiade I'm not so clear on. Maybe it us just a system reboot like you suggest, that actually makes sense.

Interesting thing about the Weapons, they all seemed to have 'jurisdictions' of sorts, we have a flying one, a deep sea one, a land based one, and a tunnelling one, to cover all possible threats.

I just assumed someone summoned Meteor before, resulting in the giant crater. Otherwise, how would they know to seal it away?

 

[ChipNoir]

The crater is because of JENOVA. Although it's possible that JENOVA did hitch a ride on an initial meteor summoning, but it's never been confirmed that it's ever actually been used at any point in history.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I've often wondered if Meteor (the materia/spell) may be a crystallization filled with a collective fear -- terror even -- in the memories of the many people who died following Jenova's arrival, given that she is known to have arrived on a meteor.

I just assumed someone summoned Meteor before, resulting in the giant crater. Otherwise, how would they know to seal it away?

Just understanding what it would do if used should have been reason enough. I don't think Holy or Zirconiade were implied to have ever been used, but their function is still understood.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Well I mean... "Meteor" is the ultimate Black Magic spell of destruction.

While "Holy" is the ultimate White Magic spell, opposite of it.

The Lifestream is the living embodiment, or soul, of the planet. It's collective consciousness.

With that in mind, I always figured "Meteor" is the embodiment of the collective Black Magic prowess and impulses of destruction in its long dead users. Just like magic materia is the condensed thoughts and abilities of those who passed on, "Meteor" would represent the culmination of all the destructive magic abilities of countless centuries residing in the Lifestream. In the end, it's just a magic materia of the most powerful Black Magic spell no human could use because of its immense power. Something akin to the Huge Materia or special materia that's found in their respective hidden caves.