Lately I've been giving the concept of alternate universes, also known as parallel universes, some thought. Not so much the actual scientific possibilies and quantum mechanics, but how it's used in fiction.

<_< Now I'm sure many of us have already heard the argument against FFT, KH, and now even ISS as being AU or as in having no connection with the FFVII love triangle itself. So I was doing a little research on the matter and found an interesting article that discusses it in full. (Interesting side note is that neither game is referenced as an example, but Chrono Cross is.)

Basically the whole idea of a parallel universe is that it exists in alignment with other worlds. Notably if something happens to a traveler in an AU, it'll directly affect him in his world. Then there are AUs that have exact duplicates of each person for every world with some noticeable distinctions, but that overall have some similarity to their other world counterparts or are their complete opposites. And then there are AUs that are completely different entirely, which I guess would be like all the worlds in the FF series.

This being said, it?s easy to group all 3 games as either the first or second category. Yet there are still some opponents claiming that in order for Cleris to exist there has to be no Tifa, however Cloti did not exist in the Ehrgeiz world nor did Cleris cease to exist in ISS with Tifa being there. :whistle:

:) Basically what I?m trying to say without this becoming incredibly lengthy, is that it really depends on which fiction of AU you?re using and no matter what definition, AUs are still parallel in some way and not completely unconnected.

Any thoughts? :D

All very good points! And I'd like to add that even IF said games had no effect on the FFVII characters, it was still THE CREATORS who chose who to put with whom in which game, and how to have them intereact ;)
(BTW, I ADORE your new sig!)

Like on Star Trek, when they have ones where people interact with the parallel universe. Captain Kirk had a counterpart who was captain of the other Enterprise. How they obtained their position was different but they were both captain. OMG I'm such a nerd :P I'll have to ask my brother about this, he's a big trekkie and knows more about it than I do.

It reminds me of those comic books...

Remember X-Men? Superman? Spider-man? Some of the branches off to form stories of their own (i.e., Cyclops and gang were highschool teenagers, Batman Beyond... where Bruce was an old man training his replacement, and Spider-man.... wherein MJ was his neighbor childhood crush... wherein in older comics Black Cat was his first love)?

And yet some of the themes were the same... Scott and Jean will always be an item, MJ and Peter will always be together, and Superman... well, we all know whom he preferred... regardless on what "parallel universe" they are constant. I see the same in the other games.

Am now feeling like a nerd. GAH!

And what about Buffy the Vampire Slayer? There was an episode dealing with a parallel universe. In that universe, Buffy's friends Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg are lovers, an acknowledgement of the still-existing tension between them in the *real* world. In that universe, Buffy Summers is a scarred, cynical girl because that's how she would have turned out if she hadn't become the Slayer. Oz Osbourne eventually killed alternate universe Willow...very ironic since in the *real* world, he and Willow are in love.
What I'm trying to point out is, Alternate Universes contain constancies, a peek at what might have been...or creators might just be poking fun, by adding strange ironies.
I think that Cleris in the Square games is a constancy...a tribute to the love that was between them in FF7...they were telling us that Cloud and Aerith "continue" to love each other...beyond the world of FF7 :cleris:

Regardless of whether some games take place in an AU or not, the final say is with the creators. Nomura himself stated that Cloud and Aerith's appearance together in KH reflected on their relationship in FFVII...

Nomura: "But if you play Kingdom Hearts, toward the end, some of the questions about the relationship between Cloud and Aerith in FFVII might be answered."

So, that comment by Nomura COMPLETELY negates any claims that Cloud and Aerith's appearance in KH meant nothing. He confirms here that Cloud was searching for Aerith and that Aerith is Cloud's "light" (confirmed by Nomura to be the "light of the soul"). And seeing as how a theme of KH was being connected spiritually, this points to Cloud and Aerith being connected on a higher level. :cleris: