Guys, he literally tells Aerith he'll come back (KHII), because of romantic interests or best friendship or w/e who knows but let's not pretend none of it had anything to do with Aerith at all Sure, some of it was to do with Sephiroth, and Tifa but Aerith too, but it's not like Cloud really doesn't give a crap about Aerith whatsoever, people don't really think that do they? I mean Cloud was like trying to reassure her there or something
Also this is a quote from Kingdom Hearts Re-coded -
(just including some quotes here incase people haven't seen them before )
This suggests to me that he might indeed have been trying to find his way back home/to his world/Hollow Bastion while looking for Sephiroth as well perhaps. Is Cloud like not allowed to have more than one goal or something? :o
Oh, I got the feeling Cloud and Aerith were close. Doesn't mean they're in a romantic relationship, or have romantic feelings for each other. I also got the impression that Cloud and Leon were close too. I figure he's also pretty tight with Cid and Yuffie as well, or at least Cid, since Cid's the one who leads him back to Hollow Bastion. I figure Cloud will return not because Aerith specifically is there, but because his friends in general are.
Addendum: If being someones light really does make you their love interest, then Tifa is Cloud's love interest. The light=love theory does not help the cleriths at all.
Guys, he literally tells Aerith he'll come back (KHII), because of romantic interests or best friendship or w/e who knows but let's not pretend none of it had anything to do with Aerith at all Sure, some of it was to do with Sephiroth, and Tifa but Aerith too, but it's not like Cloud really doesn't give a crap about Aerith whatsoever, people don't really think that do they? I mean Cloud was like trying to reassure her there or something
Also this is a quote from Kingdom Hearts Re-coded -
This suggests to me that he might indeed have been trying to find his way back home/to his world/Hollow Bastion while looking for Sephiroth as well perhaps. Is Cloud like not allowed to have more than one goal or something? :o
What we're all banging on about is that far far more is being made of a few words to a friend than were ever probably intended, based on a reasoning that is, as far as anyone can determine at the moment, just made up whole goddamn cloth.
Unless, you know, Pinnochio counts as Gheppeto's light, in which case YOU ARE SOME SICK MOTHERFUCKERS, SQUARE AND DISNEY!
geppetto gonna build himself a fine ass boy who got the booty
This was my point before about things becoming 'talking points'. At some spot in the past, KH's Aladdin and Jasmine scene (the only explicitly romantic scene in the ending) was joined by a non-existent Belle and Beast scene. Then it got expanded to a very romantic ending full of people 'being reunited with their lights'. No one stopped to check this out, but carried on using a distorted argument to support their view.
anywhooooooo
I debated with myself whether to post about this or not, but decided to do it anyway. For the sake of something new to talk about.
I don't think they really are 'undying'. I think it's simply saying 'feelings that are not dead even now'. In other words, feelings that are still lingering and that remain even now.
In Japanese, there are only really two tenses: past tense and a present/future tense (or 'non-past'). I've seen it called 'complete' and 'not complete' as well. 'Undying' here would be 'non-past' (死なぬ which is another form of 死なない.
The phrase, for reference:
いまもなお死なぬ想いはある (still/even now - not dead - feelings - have/has)
I think you can read part of this line in two different ways: apply the 'still/even now' to 'has [undying feelings even now/still]'; or apply it to 'undying/not dead'. Up until now the former seems to have been the prevailing view, but I'm going to argue for the latter here (although neither are grammatically incorrect as far as I'm aware).
I have tried using Google to fetch some other examples, but the only results you get for the exact phrase いまもなお死なぬ are this particular quote. So I decided to look at another phrase that has a similar meaning: 今もなお消えぬ (even now/still not disappeared)
These are some of the results I found.
過去の約束／今もなお消えぬ想い (promise from the past/feelings that still have not disappeared; the chapter title of a story)
今もなお消えぬ伝説www (the legend that even now has not disappeared lolol; some someone's Twitter about something called Eros Night or something)
今もなお消えぬ、日本に対する悪意と憎悪 (the ill will and hatred towards Japan that even now has not disappeared; from a review of the film Don't Cry, Nanking/Nanjing 1937)
今もなお消えぬ情熱 (the passion that has not disappeared even now; from a blog about a disgraced sumo wrestler who still wants to wrestle)
今もなお消えぬ記憶 (memories that even now have not disappeared; from some lyrics)
今もなお消えぬ想い (feelings which even now have not disappeared; from some lyrics)
今もなお消えぬ憎しみ (hatred that still has not disappeared; from a Code Geass fanfic)
今もなお消えぬ復讐心 (desire for revenge that has not disappeared even now; from a description of a story)
今もなお、消えぬトラウマ (trauma that even now has not disappeared; from a piece of fan fiction)
今もなお消えぬアイヌ差別 (discrimination against Ainu which has still not disappeared; from a news report)
In these examples (though I have quoted only part of the sentences for the sake of brevity), 'still/even now' appears to apply more to the verb (not disappeared) modifying the nouns (feelings/memories/hatred/etc.) than to the main verbs in these sentences. Which leads to me believe that 今もなお消えぬ (and thus 今もなお死なぬ works as a singular phrase.
Taking this into account, it's my proposition that the phrase in Nomura's quote means that these feelings still linger for Cloud, rather than the feelings themselves being 'eternal' or such. Nomura starts this sentence with 'Cloud in this story as well', which sets up a time frame. A few uses I saw in my brief research had sentences that expressed the passage of time, that even though a certain amount of time had passed something has still not disappeared. 'This story' that Nomura is talking about is also set several years after the original game, with two years passed since the end of that story. Rather than saying he still has feelings even now that are 'undying', he is instead saying that he has feelings that still remain 'not dead'.
Despite the possible ambiguities of the Japanese non-past tense and whether or not it is talking about the present or the future, there would be a number of ways to express that these feelings are not going to 'die' and remain forever:
However, those specify that it will 'never' or 'definitely not' die. This phrase from Nomura's quote, however, puts us in the present by saying 'even now'. It's not talking about the future, but rather talking about the feelings in the present. It's talking about what the feelings are doing 'even now'. It doesn't mean that those feelings are going to remain for eternity, as has been argued. It doesn't negate the interpretation that Nomura might be referring to Cloud's guilt, which was said not to make sense because Nomura is talking about 'undying (=eternal) feelings' and Cloud's guilt is lifted during AC. Cloud's guilt is very much 'still not dead' in AC.
If you look at the examples I gave above, the pain and trauma in some examples may at some point 'disappear'. Some would be beneficial to vanish, like discrimination and hatred, hurt and desire for revenge. There isn't any way of telling if they will go away or not, but all we're given is that those emotions remain at this point in time.
I don't especially feel that Cloud doesn't have certain feelings or a love for Aerith that will stay with him. But the conclusion I've reached from everything that has been released leads me to believe that it's not something that will remain in a way that would hinder Cloud and Tifa having a relationship with Tifa, or lead him to continue a 'spiritual' relationship with Aerith. And after consideration, I don't believe that this quote in particular is talking about any permanent feelings that Cloud harbours.
This was my point before about things becoming 'talking points'. At some spot in the past, KH's Aladdin and Jasmine scene (the only explicitly romantic scene in the ending) was joined by a non-existent Belle and Beast scene. Then it got expanded to a very romantic ending full of people 'being reunited with their lights'. No one stopped to check this out, but carried on using a distorted argument to support their view.
I actually remember believing there was a Belle and Beast scene in KH1's ending, just because people had said it so many times.
That's the meaning that I've concluded it has, yeah. To be honest, if I were to translate things normally I would probably change the wording around (like instead of 'the legend still has not disappeared' something like 'the legend lives on lololololol' would sound a lot better).
I agree that "light" doesn't always mean romance. However, it is clear based on this conversation that Cloud is looking for *SOMEONE* that is his *LIGHT*: Sora: “So why did you go along with him, anyway?”
Cloud: “I’m looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and couldn’t find the light.”
Sora: “You’ll find it. I’m searching, too.”
Cloud: “For your light? Don’t lose sight of it.”
Insisting Sephiroth is what Cloud is searching for, under the context of Cloud's and Sora's conversation during the first game, is absolutely ridiculous. That's like saying Sora is searching for Xehanort.
The reason I believe the ending of KH1 provides commentary on Cloud and Aerith's relationship in particular is because of Nomura's quote. Nomura plainly states that the ending of KH1 (where Cloud is reunited with Aerith) might help answer questions about their relationship as it pertains to Final Fantasy VII.
So if the ending of KH1 can answer questions about Cloud and Aerith's relationship in FFVII, and we see Cloud and Aerith reuniting at the end of the Kingdom Hearts, then it says to me that Aerith is Cloud's love interest in Final Fantasy VII.
Why else would Nomura say the ending of KH1 could provide commentary on their relationship in FFVII and then make it abundantly obvious that Aerith is the light Cloud is searching for?
I honestly don't think it's that hard to read between the lines.
:quadfacepalm:
How many times do we have to say it before it gets through your thick skull that KH: FM makes it EXPLICITLY clear that it's Sephiroth Cloud is searching for?
And if it is his light Cloud is searching for, then it's Tifa Cloud is searching for, since Nomura has made it clear by saying "if Sephiroth is Cloud's darkness, Tifa is his light" that Tifa is Cloud's light, since Sephiroth is explicitly stated to be his darkness in KH2.
In retrospect, it seems really obvious that this is what Nomura was saying. When いまも or just いま is used to establish the timeframe for an entire clause, it's typically used at the start of a clause rather than right in the middle, as "in this story" was. It really only makes sense that "even now" applies to the verb that follows.
I kind of wonder why it wasn't picked up on before (not that I am saying that to point fingers or anything, I didn't notice it until like yesterday). I guess, with so much focus being put on 'undying', it is easy to lose sight of things like that.
BB STOP that right now you are completely ignoring and misinterpreting that conversation between Cloud and Sora.
Cloud IS NOT searching for someone who is his light!
So if the ending of KH1 can answer questions about Cloud and Aerith's relationship in FFVII, and we see Cloud and Aerith reuniting at the end of the Kingdom Hearts, then it says to me that Aerith is Cloud's love interest in Final Fantasy VII.
Except all we get is a 5-10 second scene where Aerith has to bend down a bit to actually look into Cloud's face despite the act she's shorter than him because, oh I dunno he seems to not be looking at her. Where exactly is there this romantic moment you seem to think happens between them because there's NOTHING to suggest otherwise.
BlankBeat said:
And hopefully in KH3, Cloud goes back back to Aerith (just as she states he will) so we can have closure on this subject
Why the hell do you insist on making things up, seriously do you get off on it or something? Find me a quote in KH that specifically goes like this.
Aerith: Come back to ME Cloud
Cloud: I'll come back YOU because I know you're my light and will lead me back.
Oh I'm sorry you can't because Aerith never asks Cloud to come back to her personally, she explains she's certain the Light will eventually lead him back to Hollow Bastion, a place hence her use of the term here and Cloud never says once he'll come back to her either, he never even actually states he'll be back. His exact words are "I suppose" and if you need a definition of that well fuck I SUPPOSE I may have to give you one.
I kind of wonder why it wasn't picked up on before (not that I am saying that to point fingers or anything, I didn't notice it until like yesterday). I guess, with so much focus being put on 'undying', it is easy to lose sight of things like that.
I did actually mention this before so I KNOW it's been brought up before...
re: KH3
Cloud should just... die in KH3.. in fact let's have Sora say "where's Cloud?" And then Leon says "He's dead, he's fucking dead, don't even ask about him!"
End of story
seriously I didn't even think about LTD stuff in KH3 until it started up on my tumblr dash and... oh god I wish I hadn't now D:
geppetto gonna build himself a fine ass boy who got the booty
This was my point before about things becoming 'talking points'. At some spot in the past, KH's Aladdin and Jasmine scene (the only explicitly romantic scene in the ending) was joined by a non-existent Belle and Beast scene. Then it got expanded to a very romantic ending full of people 'being reunited with their lights'. No one stopped to check this out, but carried on using a distorted argument to support their view.
anywhooooooo
I debated with myself whether to post about this or not, but decided to do it anyway. For the sake of something new to talk about.
I don't think they really are 'undying'. I think it's simply saying 'feelings that are not dead even now'. In other words, feelings that are still lingering and that remain even now.
In Japanese, there are only really two tenses: past tense and a present/future tense (or 'non-past'). I've seen it called 'complete' and 'not complete' as well. 'Undying' here would be 'non-past' (死なぬ which is another form of 死なない.
The phrase, for reference:
いまもなお死なぬ想いはある (still/even now - not dead - feelings - have/has)
I think you can read part of this line in two different ways: apply the 'still/even now' to 'has [undying feelings even now/still]'; or apply it to 'undying/not dead'. Up until now the former seems to have been the prevailing view, but I'm going to argue for the latter here (although neither are grammatically incorrect as far as I'm aware).
I have tried using Google to fetch some other examples, but the only results you get for the exact phrase いまもなお死なぬ are this particular quote. So I decided to look at another phrase that has a similar meaning: 今もなお消えぬ (even now/still not disappeared)
These are some of the results I found.
過去の約束／今もなお消えぬ想い (promise from the past/feelings that still have not disappeared; the chapter title of a story)
今もなお消えぬ伝説www (the legend that even now has not disappeared lolol; some someone's Twitter about something called Eros Night or something)
今もなお消えぬ、日本に対する悪意と憎悪 (the ill will and hatred towards Japan that even now has not disappeared; from a review of the film Don't Cry, Nanking/Nanjing 1937)
今もなお消えぬ情熱 (the passion that has not disappeared even now; from a blog about a disgraced sumo wrestler who still wants to wrestle)
今もなお消えぬ記憶 (memories that even now have not disappeared; from some lyrics)
今もなお消えぬ想い (feelings which even now have not disappeared; from some lyrics)
今もなお消えぬ憎しみ (hatred that still has not disappeared; from a Code Geass fanfic)
今もなお消えぬ復讐心 (desire for revenge that has not disappeared even now; from a description of a story)
今もなお、消えぬトラウマ (trauma that even now has not disappeared; from a piece of fan fiction)
今もなお消えぬアイヌ差別 (discrimination against Ainu which has still not disappeared; from a news report)
In these examples (though I have quoted only part of the sentences for the sake of brevity), 'still/even now' appears to apply more to the verb (not disappeared) modifying the nouns (feelings/memories/hatred/etc.) than to the main verbs in these sentences. Which leads to me believe that 今もなお消えぬ (and thus 今もなお死なぬ works as a singular phrase.
Taking this into account, it's my proposition that the phrase in Nomura's quote means that these feelings still linger for Cloud, rather than the feelings themselves being 'eternal' or such. Nomura starts this sentence with 'Cloud in this story as well', which sets up a time frame. A few uses I saw in my brief research had sentences that expressed the passage of time, that even though a certain amount of time had passed something has still not disappeared. 'This story' that Nomura is talking about is also set several years after the original game, with two years passed since the end of that story. Rather than saying he still has feelings even now that are 'undying', he is instead saying that he has feelings that still remain 'not dead'.
Despite the possible ambiguities of the Japanese non-past tense and whether or not it is talking about the present or the future, there would be a number of ways to express that these feelings are not going to 'die' and remain forever:
However, those specify that it will 'never' or 'definitely not' die. This phrase from Nomura's quote, however, puts us in the present by saying 'even now'. It's not talking about the future, but rather talking about the feelings in the present. It's talking about what the feelings are doing 'even now'. It doesn't mean that those feelings are going to remain for eternity, as has been argued. It doesn't negate the interpretation that Nomura might be referring to Cloud's guilt, which was said not to make sense because Nomura is talking about 'undying (=eternal) feelings' and Cloud's guilt is lifted during AC. Cloud's guilt is very much 'still not dead' in AC.
If you look at the examples I gave above, the pain and trauma in some examples may at some point 'disappear'. Some would be beneficial to vanish, like discrimination and hatred, hurt and desire for revenge. There isn't any way of telling if they will go away or not, but all we're given is that those emotions remain at this point in time.
I don't especially feel that Cloud doesn't have certain feelings or a love for Aerith that will stay with him. But the conclusion I've reached from everything that has been released leads me to believe that it's not something that will remain in a way that would hinder Cloud and Tifa having a relationship with Tifa, or lead him to continue a 'spiritual' relationship with Aerith. And after consideration, I don't believe that this quote in particular is talking about any permanent feelings that Cloud harbours.
In retrospect, it seems really obvious that this is what Nomura was saying. When いまも or just いま is used to establish the timeframe for an entire clause, it's typically used at the start of a clause rather than right in the middle, as "in this story" was. It really only makes sense that "even now" applies to the verb that follows.
I kind of wonder why it wasn't picked up on before (not that I am saying that to point fingers or anything, I didn't notice it until like yesterday). I guess, with so much focus being put on 'undying', it is easy to lose sight of things like that.
Seriously, I'm pretty sure I was saying this some time ago, that the line itself meant the feelings simply had not yet died, rather than they never could.
What we're all banging on about is that far far more is being made of a few words to a friend than were ever probably intended, based on a reasoning that is, as far as anyone can determine at the moment, just made up whole goddamn cloth.
Unless, you know, Pinnochio counts as Gheppeto's light, in which case YOU ARE SOME SICK MOTHERFUCKERS, SQUARE AND DISNEY!
I will freely admit that there has been times when, as the subject of 'undying feelings' came up, my eyes glossed over and I probably just skimmed things. Though I was thinking more about the grammar/translation.
I agree that "light" doesn't always mean romance. However, it is clear based on this conversation that Cloud is looking for *SOMEONE* that is his *LIGHT*:
No, he is not. We are flat out TOLD he was searching for Sephiroth. Cloud in Final MIx says "I WAS SEARCHING FOR YOU TOO" when he meets Sephiroth, and Aeris pretty much repeats it, Stop pretending people haven't already shot your points to the ground.
I’m looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and I couldn’t find the light."
He tried to EXPLOIT THE POWER OF DARKNESS to find Sephiroth who was OF THE DARKNESS. Why else would he turn to the darkness for help? He tried to use the dark to his advantage and this backfired, he distanced himself from light altogether. It's not rocket science, it's hamfisted Disney/Square dialogue.
He was always looking for Sephiroth. Never for Aeris. Aeris was always right there, and no one Cloud particularly needed to find. She is portrayed as nothing more than a friend cheering Cloud from the sidelines.
Your entire essay is a giant non sequitur. You are deliberately misinterpreting what everyone's been telling you: Cloud, like all people has both light and dark inside himself. Aeris for example is perfectly balanced. That's how he should be, but Cloud turned to the darkness for help when tracking down Sephiroth and was enveloped by it. No one person is his light. No one ever said this. You did, by claiming Aeris is it.
Sephiroth embodies the darkness present in Cloud and it is very fucking heavily suggested Tifa is the opposite of that. Tifa's light blinds Cloud, who is so deep in darkness that he can no longer face it.
Note that Aeris never directly helps Cloud with his main storyline, which is the defeat of Sephiroth and finding balance within himself again. She is always shown as a supporter, but never an actual participant. Very much unlike Tifa who is aware of the dynamics of light and darkness, directly confronts Sephiroth and actively tries to help Cloud by enveloping him in light. Like Sephiroth, who can sense Cloud's darkness, Tifa in the end says "light is easy to fnd" whcih implies that she is attracted to Cloud's light and that's how she finds him.
Both Tifa and Sephiroth actively search Cloud out, unlike Aeris who was aware he was in the Colosseum, and neither of them did anything about it because they simply weren't looking for each other.
Now enough with this bs.
PS: I wanted to add something because BlankBeat is essentially separating the two games into two distinct entities that can exist without the other in an attempt to make it seem like without FM or KH2, if you squint really hard, you can see Cleris. This is much like when the first disk of FF7 is looked at on its own, separated from the half of the story that follows. As in, on the first disk there's C/A, but then the second makes it "up to interpretation" so Cleris is still valid.
This is what Nomura had to say about anything that might have remained unsolved or ambiguous in KH:
If KHII was never released, what would happen to the mysteries left in the first game?
Nomura: I guess they’d just stay untold. (laugh) I have a passionate opinion about that, but I think a game that doesn’t sell just shouldn’t have a sequel. If many people want a sequel, I’ll have to answer to that but if not, I have to bravely give up. Thank goodness, we had a lot of fans saying they want a continuation so we were able to make it, but if KH was a game that nobody wants a sequel of, then it’s not that bad for the unsolved mysteries to stay that way, anyways....
Everyone's pretty much replied...
No, he is not. We are flat out TOLD he was searching for Sephiroth. Cloud in Final MIx says "I WAS SEARCHING FOR YOU TOO" when he meets Sephiroth, and Aeris pretty much repeats it, Stop pretending people haven't already shot your points to the ground.
I’m looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and I couldn’t find the light."
He tried to EXPLOIT THE POWER OF DARKNESS to find Sephiroth who was OF THE DARKNESS. Why else would he turn to the darkness for help? He tried to use the dark to his advantage and this backfired, he distanced himself from light altogether. It's not rocket science, it's hamfisted Disney/Square dialogue.
He was always looking for Sephiroth. Never for Aeris. Aeris was always right there, and no one Cloud particularly needed to find. She is portrayed as nothing more than a friend cheering Cloud from the sidelines.
Your entire essay is a giant non sequitur. You are deliberately misinterpreting what everyone's been telling you: Cloud, like all people has both light and dark inside himself. Aeris for example is perfectly balanced. That's how he should be, but Cloud turned to the darkness for help when tracking down Sephiroth and was enveloped by it. No one person is his light. No one ever said this. You did, by claiming Aeris is it.
Sephiroth embodies the darkness present in Cloud and it is very fucking heavily suggested Tifa is the opposite of that. Tifa's light blinds Cloud, who is so deep in darkness that he can no longer face it.
Note that Aeris never directly helps Cloud with his main storyline, which is the defeat of Sephiroth and finding balance within himself again. She is always shown as a supporter, but never an actual participant. Very much unlike Tifa who is aware of the dynamics of light and darkness, directly confronts Sephiroth and actively tries to help Cloud by enveloping him in light. Like Sephiroth, who can sense Cloud's darkness, Tifa in the end says "light is easy to fnd" whcih implies that she is attracted to Cloud's light and that's how she finds him.
Both Tifa and Sephiroth actively search Cloud out, unlike Aeris who was aware he was in the Colosseum, and neither of them did anything about it because they simply weren't looking for each other.
Now enough with this bs.
PS: I wanted to add something because BlankBeat is essentially separating the two games into two distinct entities that can exist without the other in an attempt to make it seem like without FM or KH2, if you squint really hard, you can see Cleris. This is much like when the first disk of FF7 is looked at on its own, separated from the half of the story that follows. As in, on the first disk there's C/A, but then the second makes it "up to interpretation" so Cleris is still valid.
This is what Nomura had to say about anything that might have remained unsolved or ambiguous in KH:
Hi, KH2 happened. The "mysteries" are solved. There are answers. Let's not pretend otherwise.
"Cloud seeks the true memories he has lost. Were they memories of someone dear to him, or memories of his own hazy past?" ~Cloud's profile - KH:CoM
Question: “Okay then, so the person who Cloud is searching for is Aeris, right?”
Nomura: “Well, what do you think? If indeed it was Aeris, then the bit in the ending was the answer. You might say it was made so that you can take it that way. Cloud is a popular character, and I don’t really want to decide myself, yes he is like this. Because players make strong conclusions by themselves, I want to leave room for everyone’s line of thought."
Cloud *IS* searching for his darkness (Sephiroth), but he is also searching for the person that is his light.
Aerith: No matter how far away you are...once you find your light...I'm sure it will lead you back here again. Right?
Cloud: I suppose.
Aerith: So I'll stay here---and I'll cheer for you--- Okay, Cloud?
Then, after Aerith's conversation with Cloud, she (again) appears in the credits of KHII. The place where Aerith was waiting was the place where Cloud disappeared. That cannot be a coincidence:
Then, after Aerith's conversation with Cloud, she (again) appears in the credits of KHII. The place where Aerith was waiting was the place where Cloud disappeared. That cannot be a coincidence:
Well no. Aerith not being Cloud's light doesn't make her being shown at the place where he disappeared a coincidence. Their ties run deeper then that. I'm sure she cares about him regardless of who his light is.
He is looking for SOMEONE -- singular not plural. And then right out of your ass you add another person. Please do not confuse what you wish Nomura said with what was actually said and shown.
If indeed it was Aeris, then the bit in the ending was the answer.
KH1 -> IF Aeris is the one Cloud was looking for, then the ending might be the answer
Final Mix -> Cloud was looking for Sephiroth his darkness
KHII -> Cloud was running away from Tifa
New stuff new info, of course they wouldn't outright dismiss the Aerith theory, they like people discussing and don't want to spoil future plotlines.
Yes, Kingdom Hearts FM tells us that Sephiroth is Cloud's darkness. Cloud must therefore confront his darkness before he is able to be with his light [Aerith].
In FFVII, after Cloud *DEFEATS* Sephiroth, Cloud reaches for Aerith’s hand as it appears in a pool of light. This indicates that Aerith is Cloud’s light, and Sephiroth is Cloud's darkness.
In Kingdom Hearts I, Cloud is searching for someone who is his light (and it is obviously implied that Aerith is his light). Then, Aerith says she will wait for Cloud to defeat his darkness. Then, Aerith appears to be waiting for Cloud to return to her in the credits of KHII. To me, it is clear that Cloud must destroy Sephiroth (his darkness) so he can be with Aerith (his light).
Yes, Kingdom Hearts FM tells us that Sephiroth is Cloud's darkness. Cloud must therefore confront his darkness before he is able to be with his light [Aerith].
In FFVII, after Cloud *DEFEATS* Sephiroth, Cloud reaches for Aerith’s hand as it appears in a pool of light. This indicates that Aerith is Cloud’s light, and Sephiroth is Cloud's darkness.
As has been said before Nomura not the writer, FMV director or sole creative mind behind FFVII, which took place years before KH was even a thing. Cloud seeing Aerith reaching means just that, Aerith was reaching out to him. Being someone precious to him with whom her time was cut short that hardly needs further explanation.
In Kingdom Hearts I, Cloud is searching for someone who is his light (and it is obviously implied that Aerith is his light).
It's also pretty clear that Cloud knew exactly where Aerith was and indeed was probably at the same location as Aerith prior to beginning his journey.
Then, Aerith says she will wait for Cloud to defeat his darkness. Then, Aerith appears to be waiting for Cloud to return to her in the credits of KHII. To me, it is clear that Cloud must destroy Sephiroth (his darkness) so he can be with Aerith (his light).
Aerith tells Cloud that his light will him back here once he finds it, she is standing right in front of him when he says that. She makes it clear she intends to stay there. Aerith never talks about her specifically as what he needs to return too, but even if you insist on interpreting it that way, it's very difficult for Aerith to simultaneously be the light she expects him to one day find far away.
Sure, some of it was to do with Sephiroth, and Tifa but Aerith too, but it's not like Cloud really doesn't give a crap about Aerith whatsoever, people don't really think that do they? 
) 
. 
