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Did Aerith Know?
Topic Started: Oct 24 2010, 12:26 AM (1,843 Views)
Jon Snow
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khaleesi ♥
So, did Aerith know that she was going to die? My sister recently found some quotes from the game that seem to give the conclusion that she did know;

Tifa
"I wonder what Aerith felt... when she was on that altar...?"

Cloud
"I'm sure she wanted to give her life for the planet..."


----

Cloud: "...Aerith. Aerith has already prayed for Holy."
"...After I gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth...... Aerith's
words came into my dreams..."

Cloud: "She said, she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth......
And to do that, there was a secret here..."

Cloud: "That was Holy...... That's why, she had the White Materia.
Aerith knew about here... and what she had to do." "
Aerith has left us great hope. But, it cost her her life... her
future..."

"I'm sorry... Aerith. I should have figured this out sooner."
"...You left us without saying a word...... It was all so sudden,
so I couldn't think..."

"That's why it took so long for me to find out... But, Aerith...
I understand now."

"Aerith... I'll do the rest."



Then Maiden says this;
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.

Aerith was even told by her mother that she would one day leave Midgar and "find" her promised land.

It really does seem to me that she did know she was going to die.

(forgive me in advance if there was already a topic, I couldn't find it)
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Prince Roxas
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Just a Nobody
Forty Six & 2
Oct 24 2010, 12:26 AM


Tifa
"I wonder what Aerith felt... when she was on that altar...?"

Cloud
"I'm sure she wanted to give her life for the planet..."

But then Tifa says:

Tifa: "Really? I wonder? I don't think that's it at all."
"I think she didn't think she would die at all, but that she
planned on coming back all along."
"She always used to talk about the 'Next time'."
"She talked about the future more that any of us..."


Also when Aerith spoke to Cloud in his dream, her last words:

Aerith: "Then, I'll be going now. I'll come back when it's all over."

From Aerith's word there, she intended to return once Holy had been summoned and Sephiroth, Meteor (if it was summoned) and Jenova was destroyed. I'm sure Aerith would of been willing to give her life for the Planet but I don't think she ever did think that she would die. She knew it was dangerous but she was the only one who could stop it all, it was her duty as a Cetra. She wanted to protect Cloud, not just Cloud but all of her friends and family and the planet itself.

Like what Tifa said, I think Aerith thought that she wouldn't die. In the date she states that she would like to start a relationship with Cloud, it was something she wanted for her future.
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Hades' Daughter
Cleris Extremist
Forty-six & 2:
Quote:
 
Then Maiden says this;
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.


Looking at what it says in Maiden, it does rather sound like she knew she was going to have to sacrifice herself. At the very least, I think she was well aware of the danger she was putting herself into and was willing to accept the possibility of dying. That's my take on the matter. I don't think SE ever clarified it either way. Actually, come to think of it, I believe I've heard SE hint at both possibilities. They're excellent about contradicting themselves :/

Kuki:
Quote:
 
Aerith: "Then, I'll be going now. I'll come back when it's all over."


I wouldn't necessarily say that because Aerith said this, it means she didn't think she was going to die. She's usually just pretty upbeat about everything, even when things aren't looking so good. Considering the condition that Cloud was in too when she said this to him, she could have just been trying to keep him from worrying. MoTP makes it pretty clear that she knew Cloud would be in sorrow if anything happened to her.

To me, this line here is extremely significant though. I think it was both foreshadowing her death and alluding to FFVII's theme 'life'. I mean, think about it. Two years after the events of FFVII and Aerith is still hanging around. To me, she pretty much did come back...just a little differently.

And, as for what Tifa says, I have to wonder too if she actually knows Aerith as much as she appears to there. Cloud seems to think differently. I guess it comes down to who you think would know Aerith better, Cloud or Tifa. Tifa's right that Aerith is always talking about the future but that's because she's always looking at things in a positive light. Does that mean that Aerith believed she wasn't going to die? That might not have been the case, IMO.

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Quexinos
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WOO HOO!
Quote:
 
Aerith was even told by her mother that she would one day leave Midgar and "find" her promised land.

Uh yeah... she was bound to die eventually.

She knew it was a possibility I'd say, but didn't know for sure. This is what the texts seem to be saying.

Also:
Quote:
 
Kitase: And with a lot of stories, before they die theres a lot of dramatic preparations, arent there? Like a pre-prepared excitement, or using this as a step to fight evil further, those are the kinds of developments I wanted to avoid. In reality, death comes without warning, and youre left feeling dazed at the gravity of the loss Rather than wanting to fight evil, youre just overcome by a great sense of loss, like you just want to give up everything. I was in charge of the direction of that scene, and I tried to bring out that sort of sense of realism


In other words "It was a murder. Noble Sacrifice isn't a good way to present death. Death sucks.'
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Prince Roxas
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Just a Nobody
HD
 
I wouldn't necessarily say that because Aerith said this, it means she didn't think she was going to die. She's usually just pretty upbeat about everything, even when things aren't looking so good. Considering the condition that Cloud was in too when she said this to him, she could have just been trying to keep him from worrying. MoTP makes it pretty clear that she knew Cloud would be in sorrow if anything happened to her.

Good point HD (Haha, sory but my mind just went High Definition there :lol:). Yeah Aerith was very concerned about Cloud, she could see him crumbling under despair and of fear with what just had happened at the Temple of the Ancients when Sephiroth had taken over him and his "episode" when laughing and mentioning the summoning of Meteor in the room where the Red Dragon is fought. One of the reasons why Aerith wanted to do, I think the main reason amongst everything else is that she wanted to protect Cloud from Sephiroth and save Cloud from himself.

I think it does allude to her death but Aerith herself did have a positive view on going alone as she was protecting the people she cared about and she would after all of the fighting she would be able to return to them all. It never really occured to me that Aerith thought she was going to die, she knew that she could of going against Sephiroth alone. She understood a lot more of her heritage and duty as a Cetra from visiting Cosmo Canyon and the Temple of the Ancients but I still think Aerith still didn't quite understand what the Promised Land was truly. I think that also depends on the view of the player on what their view of the Promised Land is.

Quex
 
Uh yeah... she was bound to die eventually.

She knew it was a possibility I'd say, but didn't know for sure. This is what the texts seem to be saying.

Yes I believe that to Quex, kind of what I just said in the paragraph above. It was possible but she didn't know for sure.

Quex
 
In other words "It was a murder. Noble Sacrifice isn't a good way to present death. Death sucks.'

Yes I think that's one of the key sucesses of Aerith's character and her death is that she wasn't sacrificed, she was murdered. It makes the players and think and the characters about if they knew this was going to happen I would of done something different. I believe Noruma said something like this in a quote somewhere, I believe the one from an EGM interview it was featured in.
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Hades' Daughter
Cleris Extremist
Quex:
Quote:
 
Quote:
 

Kitase: And with a lot of stories, before they die theres a lot of dramatic preparations, arent there? Like a pre-prepared excitement, or using this as a step to fight evil further, those are the kinds of developments I wanted to avoid. In reality, death comes without warning, and youre left feeling dazed at the gravity of the loss Rather than wanting to fight evil, youre just overcome by a great sense of loss, like you just want to give up everything. I was in charge of the direction of that scene, and I tried to bring out that sort of sense of realism


In other words "It was a murder. Noble Sacrifice isn't a good way to present death. Death sucks.


About that Kitase quote, I personally think he was just talking about the impact of a sudden death on the people left behind. Aerith might have felt she was going to have to trade her life in order to save the planet but, you know, she might not have told anyone her plans. It seemed to me like she pretty much understood what she had to do as the heir of the Cetra by the time she left for the City of the Ancients.

Her death was sudden and came without warning to Cloud, her friends, and to the players. There was no buildup prior to the death that would have led anyone to suspect that she was going to die. There was none of that "oh, no, she's going to have to sacrifice her life! We need to do something about it!". As Kitase said, there was no dramatic preparations or anything. He had to make sure it contained the element of a surprise because that's more realistic. To Cloud and everyone else, it was indeed like murder. They/we weren't prepared for Aerith's death. However, does that mean Aerith herself didn't believe she was going to die? Not necessarily, and, IMO, MoTP seems to say she kind of knew it.

Kuki:
Quote:
 
She understood a lot more of her heritage and duty as a Cetra from visiting Cosmo Canyon and the Temple of the Ancients but I still think Aerith still didn't quite understand what the Promised Land was truly. I think that also depends on the view of the player on what their view of the Promised Land is.


Actually, I forgot to mention this, but I don't believe the Promised Land necessarily has anything to do with death. Cloud's not dead and he was able to find his Promised Land. So, no, when Aerith's mother told her that she would someday find her Promised Land, it didn't mean her mother was foreshadowing her death.
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Jon Snow
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khaleesi ♥
HD
 
I wouldn't necessarily say that because Aerith said this, it means she didn't think she was going to die. She's usually just pretty upbeat about everything, even when things aren't looking so good. Considering the condition that Cloud was in too when she said this to him, she could have just been trying to keep him from worrying.

I agree. And that's actually very in character for her to do, too.

HD
 

About that Kitase quote, I personally think he was just talking about the impact of a sudden death on the people left behind. Aerith might have felt she was going to have to trade her life in order to save the planet but, you know, she might not have told anyone her plans. It seemed to me like she pretty much understood what she had to do as the heir of the Cetra by the time she left for the City of the Ancients.

Her death was sudden and came without warning to Cloud, her friends, and to the players. There was no buildup prior to the death that would have led anyone to suspect that she was going to die. There was none of that "oh, no, she's going to have to sacrifice her life! We need to do something about it!". As Kitase said, there was no dramatic preparations or anything. He had to make sure it contained the element of a surprise because that's more realistic. To Cloud and everyone else, it was indeed like murder. They/we weren't prepared for Aerith's death. However, does that mean Aerith herself didn't believe she was going to die? Not necessarily, and, IMO, MoTP seems to say she kind of knew it.


Yes, exactly! That's exactly it, HD. (my, you said that better than I would have :P) It was a surprise to US, and that's what SE wanted. But that doesn't mean Aerith didn't know. And like the quotes above say, Aerith seems to have known very well what she had to do.

Quote:
 

Actually, I forgot to mention this, but I don't believe the Promised Land necessarily has anything to do with death. Cloud's not dead and he was able to find his Promised Land. So, no, when Aerith's mother told her that she would someday find her Promised Land, it didn't mean her mother was foreshadowing her death.

But, isn't it weird that Cloud finally found out *where* his promised land was *AFTER* he died? I thought he was able to know where his promised land was because he died and was brought back. Ehh, I'm not sure. You're probably right. :lol:

I just think at the time Ifalna told Aerith she would find her promised land she didn't understand what the promised land was. I don't think Aerith realized she had to die until the day at the temple of the ancients. Because, before the temple of the ancients, Aerith was unsure about her cetra heir. It was only until learning of her cetra abilities at the Temple of the Ancients that I believe Aerith finally understood her fate.

In Midgar, she wasn't sure what a promised land was, let alone how to find one. And after Cosmo Canyon she learned a little more. But it was the Temple that told her *how* to find a promised land and *what* that would mean for her. Hence the quote from Maiden and the quote from Cloud.

She didn't always know she had to die, but at the temple... it dawned on her that she would have to die.

Does that make sense? I'm in a rush. :blush:

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Hades' Daughter
Cleris Extremist
Quote:
 
But, isn't it weird that Cloud finally found out *where* his promised land was *AFTER* he died? I thought he was able to know where his promised land was because he died and was brought back. Ehh, I'm not sure. You're probably right. laugh.gif


Well, I think the importance of throwing a death-like scene in there for Cloud is just to suggest that he's been reborn and cleansed of his burden/guilt. I don't think that actually has anything to do with finding the Promised Land.

What we're told about the Promised Land is that it is the place of one's supreme happiness. My take on it is that once someone has achieved their state of ultimate happiness, it means they've found/reached their Promised Land. When Cloud resolved his guilt and realized that Aerith was still with him, as is all the rest of his family/friends too, he was able to achieve his state of ultimate happiness. That's just my opinion though.

Depending on what would make one happy, one's Promised Land may not be the same as another person's.
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Jon Snow
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khaleesi ♥
Hades' Daughter
Oct 24 2010, 04:52 PM
Quote:
 
But, isn't it weird that Cloud finally found out *where* his promised land was *AFTER* he died? I thought he was able to know where his promised land was because he died and was brought back. Ehh, I'm not sure. You're probably right. laugh.gif


Well, I think the importance of throwing a death-like scene in there for Cloud is just to suggest that he's been reborn and cleansed of his burden/guilt. I don't think that actually has anything to do with finding the Promised Land.

What we're told about the Promised Land is that it is the place of one's supreme happiness. My take on it is that once someone has achieved their state of ultimate happiness, it means they've found/reached their Promised Land. When Cloud resolved his guilt and realized that Aerith was still with him, as is all the rest of his family/friends too, he was able to achieve his state of ultimate happiness. That's just my opinion though.

Depending on what would make one happy, one's Promised Land may not be the same as another person's.

Oh, yeah, that makes sense. I don't know much about this kind of thing so I wasn't sure anyway :3


Probably off topic, but, does Aerith have a promised land?
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Hades' Daughter
Cleris Extremist
^If you're asking me, I'd have to say yes. I could be forgetting something but I always just assumed Aerith's Promised Land was the same as Cloud's. They have a similar goal in a peaceful world with no Sephiroth and I'm sure Aerith wants to meet Cloud again too. Considering that Cloud was told he would meet Aerith in the Promised Land, I think that's almost saying Aerith's Promised Land = Cloud's Promised Land. It's just my opinion though, and I could be completely wrong. Like Cloud's, it's hinted at but left up to interpretation, really.

Wasn't there something in MoTP where Aerith said something about not going to sleep and waiting in "our" Promised Land? Who might she have been referring to when she said "our"? Or didn't she say that? :0

EDIT:
Here's what she actually says:
Quote:
 
"It's OK. There are still people I don't want to be separated from. I can't sleep yet. Until that time comes, I'll wander around here for a while. I'll spend my time here in the Planet... In our Promised Land..."


Interpret that however you want, I guess ^^
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Jon Snow
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khaleesi ♥
Hades' Daughter
Oct 24 2010, 09:32 PM
^If you're asking me, I'd have to say yes.  I could be forgetting something but I always just assumed Aerith's Promised Land was the same as Cloud's.  They have a similar goal in a peaceful world with no Sephiroth and I'm sure Aerith wants to meet Cloud again too.  Considering that Cloud was told he would meet Aerith in the Promised Land, I think that's almost saying Aerith's Promised Land = Cloud's Promised Land.  It's just my opinion though, and I could be completely wrong.  Like Cloud's, it's hinted at but left up to interpretation, really.

Wasn't there something in MoTP where Aerith said something about not going to sleep and waiting in "our" Promised Land?  Who might she have been referring to when she said "our"?  Or didn't she say that?  :0

EDIT:
Here's what she actually says:
Quote:
 
"It's OK. There are still people I don't want to be separated from. I can't sleep yet. Until that time comes, I'll wander around here for a while. I'll spend my time here in the Planet... In our Promised Land..."


Interpret that however you want, I guess ^^

Well, honestly, I always took that as Aerith saying that her promised Land is tied to Cloud. I might be wrong, but, Aerith can't really rest like Dyn did because Cloud's not with her, right? So her promised land could be what Cloud's is.

And honestly, it makes most sense. Aerith said she loved the church, it was her favorite place to visit. It was where she could hear the planet and was a place of peace for her. So I think it's safe to say that Aerith's promised land is the church as well.

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Anastar
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To touch the light I see in your eyes...
This is sorta off topic, but you were talking about the Promised Land.

Hades' Daughter
 
Actually, I forgot to mention this, but I don't believe the Promised Land necessarily has anything to do with death.  Cloud's not dead and he was able to find his Promised Land.  So, no, when Aerith's mother told her that she would someday find her Promised Land, it didn't mean her mother was foreshadowing her death.

Actually, the "Promised Land" is defined several different ways during the game. Elder Hargo *does* say that the Promised Land is associated with death, because he says it's the burial ground of the Cetra:

Posted Image
(I couldn't find the quote in the script, but that's a screenshot.)

Aerith says something similar in the Shinra jail:

Aerith "All I know is..."
"The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and
unlock the Planet."
"And....... then......"
"The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises
supreme happiness."


Now if the Cetra were born from the Planet and return to the Promised Land, that implies that one's spirit arrives there when you die. However, that's not the only interpretation, since both Aerith and Sephiroth seem to think you have to search and travel in order to find it:

Aerith "The Cetras return to the Promised Land. A land that promises
boundless happiness."

Barret "Cetra? That some kinda disease?"

Aerith "That's what the Ancients call themselves."
"Hey, didn't you listen to the elders at Cosmo Canyon?"
"...You don't 'know' where the Promised Land of the Ancients is."
"You search and travel, until you feel it. Like you just know,
'...this is the Promised Land.'"


Then Sephiroth says this in one of Cloud's recollections:

Sephiroth "This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra. Cetra was a itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on..."
"At the end of their harsh, hard journey, they would find the
Promised Land and supreme happiness."


So both Aerith and Sephiroth say that you have to search and travel until you find it. If you have to search and travel in order to find it, then you don't automatically arrive there when you die, like Elder Hargo makes it sound.

Aerith also says it's a land that promises supreme happiness, and she refers to it like it has an actual location. So one can interpret that to mean that it's a location where happiness is found - OR - the feeling of happiness itself. Aerith also goes on to say this:

Aerith "Someday I'll get out of Midgar... Speak with the Planet and find
my Promised Land."


I think it's interesting that she says she'll speak with the Planet to find her Promised Land. Wasn't it the Planet that spoke to Cloud at the end of the game to tell him that he would find Aerith in the Promised Land? He says,

Cloud "......I think I'm beginning to understand.

An answer from the Planet...
the Promised Land...
I think I can meet her... there."


If he's beginning to understand and the Planet gave him the answer, then it's like the Planet has actually spoken to him. Aerith said that she would find the Promised Land by speaking with the Planet.

On topic: I've never really thought that Aerith knew she was going to die, at least not before she got to the Forgotten City. IIRC, she sensed the presence of Sephiroth, though, so she would've known that she was in danger. I haven't time to look it up right now, but it seems to me that she conveyed the thought to Cloud that Sephiroth was there. In that case, she would've known it was a possibility. But I doubt that she knew or thought it was her destiny to die. :no:
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Hades' Daughter
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Anastar:
Quote:
 
Actually, the "Promised Land" is defined several different ways during the game. Elder Hargo *does* say that the Promised Land is associated with death, because he says it's the burial ground of the Cetra


So, is that saying that for a Cetra, their Promised Land can't be anything other than their burial land? What exactly does "burial land" mean anyway? X_o

Elder Hargo was only talking about the Cetra though, right? Because other interpretations don't seem to imply that you have to die in order to reach your Promised Land.

Quote:
 
Aerith "All I know is..."
"The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and
unlock the Planet."
"And....... then......"
"The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises
supreme happiness."


Now if the Cetra were born from the Planet and return to the Promised Land, that implies that one's spirit arrives there when you die.


Is Aerith implying that the Promised Land for the Cetra = The Planet? Aerith said in MoTP that she will eventually sleep too but since she didn't want to be parted from the people she cared about yet, she would be waiting in the Promised Land. Is that referring to the planet in the sense that she's talking about the world of the living or maybe she's talking about the lifestream itself? Or maybe the lifestream and the Planet are basically one and the same?

So, basically, it does seem to be something different for everyone. What the Promised Land is seems to depend on whatever it is that would make each person happy. However, I'm rather confused about what Aerith's Promised Land is.

Quote:
 
Aerith "Someday I'll get out of Midgar... Speak with the Planet and find
my Promised Land."


I think it's interesting that she says she'll speak with the Planet to find her Promised Land. Wasn't it the Planet that spoke to Cloud at the end of the game to tell him that he would find Aerith in the Promised Land? He says,

Cloud "......I think I'm beginning to understand.

An answer from the Planet...
the Promised Land...
I think I can meet her... there."


If he's beginning to understand and the Planet gave him the answer, then it's like the Planet has actually spoken to him. Aerith said that she would find the Promised Land by speaking with the Planet.


I would agree that the Planet has spoken to him. However, doesn't this kind of imply that Cloud's Promised Land is tied to Aerith's Promised Land? Or am I reading it completely wrong? Again, in MotP, Aerith used "our" when she was talking about staying in the Promised Land. Who else was she referring to?
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Anastar
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To touch the light I see in your eyes...
Hades' Daughter
 
So, is that saying that for a Cetra, their Promised Land can't be anything other than their burial land?  What exactly does "burial land" mean anyway?  X_o

Elder Hargo was only talking about the Cetra though, right?  Because other interpretations don't seem to imply that you have to die in order to reach your Promised Land.

Yes, Elder Hargo's only talking about the Cetra there. I assume that means that the Promised Land is found when the spirits of the Cetra actually return to the Planet. When you're still a spirit drifting around in the Lifestream, you haven't returned to the Planet yet. That only happens when your spirit actually melds with the Planet again and becomes part of it. See what I mean? At least, that's how I've always thought of it.

That concept is reinforced when the Promised Land is referred to as a place of great spiritual energy several times during the game, and that's something confirmed by Aerith:

President Shinra "Even so, it's just too appealing to not to pursue."
"It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile."
"...If the land is fertile..."

Barret "Then there's gotta be Mako!"

President Shinra "Exactly. That is why our money sucking Mako Reactor is a necessity."


Remember, Mako = Lifestream.

Barret "Hey!"
"Aerith is an Ancient and the real name of the Ancients is Cetra."
"The Ancients know where the Promised Land is and the Shinra is searching for that Promised Land."
"I only hear stories 'bout the Promised Land. I don't know if it really exists."
"Is that right?"
"The Shinra believe that the Promised Land is full of Mako energy."

********
Aerith "Nope, we can't use it right now. You need great spiritual power
to use it."

Cloud "You mean lots of Spiritual energy?"

Aerith "That's right."
"One person's power alone won't do it."
"Somewhere special. Where there's plenty of the Planet's energy..."
"Oh yeah!"
"The Promised Land!"


So if there's plenty of the Planet's energy in the Promised Land, then it has to be filled with Mako/Lifestream. If it's filled with Mako/Lifestream, then that's an area where spirits would be found.

Now, Bugenhagen also said this about the Lifestream:

Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. Yes, it is something, isn't it?"
"Well, let's get to the subject."
"Eventually... all humans die. What happens to them after they die?"
"The body decomposes, and returns to the Planet. That much everyone knows. What about their consciousness, their hearts and their souls?"
"The soul too returns to the Planet."
"And not only those of humans, but everything on this Planet. In fact, all living things in the universe, are the same."

(He raises his arms)

Bugenhagen "The spirits that return to the Planet, merge with one another and roam the Planet."
"They roam, converge, and divide, becoming a swell, called the Lifestream'."
"Lifestream.... In other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming the Planet."

(He lowers his arms)

Bugenhagen "'Spirit Energy' is a word that you should never forget."
"A new life... children are blessed with Spirit energy and are brought into the world."
"Then, the time comes with they die and once again return to the Planet..."
"Of course there are exceptions, but this is the way of the world."
"I've digressed, but you'll understand better if you watch this."

(FMV sequence. The camera zooms in on model Earth. We see trees and humans being born, then die. Their bodies becomes masses of swirling light, then streak across the surface of the Earth, merging. On the other side of the planet, the energy forms into a new being. Streaks of energy cover the planet, glowing many colors. Bugenhagen floats over to the planet.)

Spirit energy makes all things possible, trees, birds, and humans.

(Bugenhagen lifts his arm.)

Not just living things. But Spirit energy makes it possible for
Planets to be Planets.

(The energy begins to converge at a point near Bugenhagen's hand.)

What happens if that Spirit energy were to disappear?

(The energy is all drawn into Bugenhagen's sleeve. When it is all gone, the planet turns jet-black, and crumbles, huge chunks floating off into space. The camera returns to the party.)

Bugenhagen "......These are the basics of the Study of Planet Life."

Cloud "If the Spirit energy is lost, our Planet is destroyed..."

Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. Spirit energy is efficient BECAUSE it exists within nature."


So what I'm proposing is that while spirits are in the Lifestream, they roam the Planet. Bugenhagen says that children are blessed with spirit energy, so apparently, spirits are "reincarnated" when that happens. But spirit energy can exist within nature, too. When spirits exist in nature, have they actually melded with the Planet itself? And is that what the Cetra call the Promised Land? :dunno:

I'm not at all sure about that... it's just a hypothesis.

Hades' Daughter
 
Quote:
 
Aerith "All I know is..."
"The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and
unlock the Planet."
"And....... then......"
"The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises
supreme happiness."


Now if the Cetra were born from the Planet and return to the Promised Land, that implies that one's spirit arrives there when you die.

Is Aerith implying that the Promised Land for the Cetra = The Planet?

That's part of my hypothesis. If one's spirit energy can actually merge or meld with the Planet itself instead of "reincarnating" as a child, then is that the Promised Land for the Cetra? After all, the Cetra are supposed to be in tune with nature, speak to the Planet, and understand the Planet in ways that humans don't. Therefore, the greatest joy or supreme happiness for a Cetra may be becoming a part of the Planet itself.

Again, this is mere speculation.

HD
 
Aerith said in MoTP that she will eventually sleep too but since she didn't want to be parted from the people she cared about yet, she would be waiting in the Promised Land.

That would invalidate my theory. :lol: As I understand it, you aren't parted from the ones you cared about while your spirit is in the Lifestream because the Lifestream still essentially interacts with the living. Once your spirit merges with the Planet itself, then you become part of the Planet itself. I assume your spirit would have less interaction with the living at that point, although Bugenhagen says that spirit energy exists within nature.

HD
 
Is that referring to the planet in the sense that she's talking about the world of the living or maybe she's talking about the lifestream itself?  Or maybe the lifestream and the Planet are basically one and the same?

See what I quoted from Bugenhagen above.

HD
 
So, basically, it does seem to be something different for everyone.  What the Promised Land is seems to depend on whatever it is that would make each person happy.  However, I'm rather confused about what Aerith's Promised Land is.

I don't think it's ever spelled out exactly what the Promised Land is. As I said, there's several definitions given throughout the game. IMO, some of those definitions conflict with one another, since one says that one has to search and travel in order to find it, and another says that it's the burial ground of the Cetra. If it's a burial ground, then you automatically find it when you die, so you wouldn't need to search and travel in order to find it.

HD
 
I would agree that the Planet has spoken to him.  However, doesn't this kind of imply that Cloud's Promised Land is tied to Aerith's Promised Land?  Or am I reading it completely wrong?  Again, in MotP, Aerith used "our" when she was talking about staying in the Promised Land.  Who else was she referring to?

I'm not at all sure, but couldn't "our" Promised Land also mean the Promised Land of the Cetra? :unsure:

And maybe we should take this discussion of the Promised Land to your other topic about the Promised Land, since it's off topic here.
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Hades' Daughter
Cleris Extremist
Quote:
 
And maybe we should take this discussion of the Promised Land to your other topic about the Promised Land, since it's off topic here.


I think there's actually another thread somewhere for a discussion on what the promised Land is. I prefer if we don't talk about this topic there either since that one was specifically created in regards to the LTDs and the argument that Cloud only wanted to find Aerith in the Promised Land so that he could receive forgiveness.

Thanks for your reply on this matter though. I'll have to continue to think about this topic more carefully as it's pretty confusing to me at this point :P
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