love possibilites

cloud

You see, Aerith and Cloud were two things; good friends, and good "somethings." Now I use "somethings" because I just don't know what else to call it. They were never physically in a romantic relationship, but the interaction and flirting ran pretty high (though mostly from Aeriths side.) I think Aerith truly loved Cloud - he didn't necessarily have to love her, but she loved him. I mean, here Aerith is, alone in the Slums, no really good friends to talk to or be around (except perhaps her mother, and the Turks that try to kidnap her occasionally), and then Cloud comes crashing down through the roof, like he fell from heaven right at her feet. Was it a sign? Possibly.

Cloud befriended Aerith when she was all alone, and she felt safe around him, like he would never leave her. I think through all the years that Aerith had to endure with hearing voices in her head, people trying to kidnap her, her mother's death, and her desire for solitude practically cried out when her and Cloud met. Soon, something different developed between them, even when at the same time, he (obviously) had a thing for Tifa. When Aerith started to flirt with Cloud quite a bit, he hadn't been used to it, and probably liked it - a lot, because Tifa was never really straightforward with him about her feelings. Aerith was the person who Cloud wanted for the present; a steady girlfriend in which he could understand and just be with. And Cloud has lost so many people in his life, and has never really kept a steady companion until he met Aerith, and Aerith wanted to take in all the love she could.

Like I said before in the relationships section, after Aerith died, it was kind of like a rude awakening for Cloud that - yes - he has all these friends and he didn't want to lose them like he lost Aerith. He wanted to keep Tifa close to him so he wouldn't lose her as well.
So love? Maybe. Aerith loved Cloud for reasons he couldn't understand, but Cloud only loved Aerith as a steady friend. Had Aerith lived, I'm positive this love triangle would have developed further, but then again, love only lasts as long as your appreciation for it. Their tale was sad, yes, VERY sad, but love made them both stronger, for why would Aerith risk her life the way she did, if she didn't have anyone to love?

zack

This love, I say, was complicated. It may have been what started the whole Aerith/Cloud thing. When Aerith was a bit younger than when the game started, she actually had a boyfriend named Zack who came from Gongaga Village near the Golden Saucer. Aerith said later on in the game that he was her first love. Now it's not clear how close they were, but I'm sure it was pretty close. In Cloud's flashback, Zack speaks about going to visit Aerith at her house but wasn't sure if "the mother" would approve. So, they knew each other quite well.

After Zack left to join Soldier, Aerith must have promised to wait for him, but when he didn't come back after a few years, she gave up on him, but was still severely hung up. Immediately when she met Cloud, her emotions ran high because he was so much like Zack. His hair, his stance, sword, personality, it all fit. Aerith loved the Zack she saw in Cloud. When Cloud and Aerith had their first date at the Golden Saucer, she even mentioned it, but some players (if it was their first time playing) might have brushed it off. She gave out some valuable information for the player that was key in her relationship with Cloud. Could she have been using him because she loved Zack so much and didn't want to let go? I don't think so, but when you lose someone, you tend to be drawn to the people who were like them. It gives you comfort and hope. So I think Aerith's true love was Zack. She always loved him and never mentioned that she stopped loving him. Maybe she thought that sacrificing her self was away of seeing Zack again. I guess we'll never know. There are always two ends of the spectrum.

sephiroth

Err, yes, Sephiroth. I don't even know why I'm adding this part, but then again, we must keep an open mind because the possibilities are truly endless (especially when regarding to Final Fantasy 7) Aerith and Sephiroth could have had something but only in the non-canon realm. With that one particular Amano drawing, who couldnot help but wonder what Squaresoft's intentions were. I'm surely wondering. There could have been this big underlying meaning behind it all; Seph and Aerith. The more that I think about it, the more I get creeped out. They had quite a bit in common. Both unsure of their origins, what they're meant to do, they both have mothers that were Ancients (or so Seph thought), they both are fighting for what they believe in, and, well, they were both killed by big swords ... yeah, that's my argument, pretty pathetic, eh? To me, Sephiroth and Aerith represented two Extreme sides of the story. Extremely good, and Extremely bad. I'm seeing some contrast here.

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