FF_Goddess and I got to talking about this in PM, and I thought I'd bring it here. How can Geostigma be cured?

FF_Goddess suggested that the White Materia may be able to heal it. Yet, the Planet decides what is bad for the Planet and what is good for the Planet, then Holy carries out the Planet's decision. The Planet is angry at humans, so why would the Planet cure Humanity with the use of Holy?

The SHM are claiming that they can "cure" the children from Geostigma, but what they mean by that is the Reunion. This is what Kadaj said to the children at the AC preview shown at TGS this year:

(Forgotten Capital, Water Shrine. Kadaj addresses a speech to the kids.)
Kadaj: I have a special power given to me by “Mother”. This Planet is trying to stop our growth! But as long as we have “Mother”, we can have power enough to stop this!
Kadaj: This Planet created the ‘stigma, and that’s the whole reason why your bodies are hurting and your minds are breaking! However, I can save you all. That’s why I need you to fight with us and “Mother” all together as a family, to bring this Planet down to its knees!

Before that, Kadaj had said this to the WCM:
Kadaj: We need “Mother”. Just some diagrams and the ‘stigma alone is barely enough. For the Reunion, that is.

So apparently, the Reunion is what Kadaj considers to be the "cure" for Geostigma, and he's planning to use the children for the Reunion to build Jenova's strength.

So is there any way to "cure" Geostigma other than the Reunion? It would be necessary to remove either the Jenova cells or the Lifestream from the body in order to stop it. The Lifestream, very obviously, cannot be removed. I suspect that it's very difficult to remove J cells from the body, too.

What does this mean for Cloud? Is there a way he can be cured? And if Jenova is found... will Cloud be able to fight the Reunion? Or will he be summoned to it?

But doesn't it take a Cetra to activate the White Materia like in FFVII? That would mean that only Aerith could do that (considering she is the only one alive...well not even she's technically alive anymore) and in that case her role in AC would be pretty much the same it was in FFVII, and that doesn't sound too appealing to me.

But it does make sense, as what else could stop something like Geostigma? Personally I can not come up with anything else, at least not now.

Well it's a common thing that when evil characters talk about curing something it usually means something that one might not actually consider to be a cure, like Reunion.

I would actually enjoy the situation where everyone would realize that Geostigma can not be cured (if we count out Reunion, as we're not even sure how that would cure it). I like movies where everyone is desperate and about to lose their hope, it's so tragic. :D

It seems nearly impossible to me. I'd say that only Hojo and perhaps Gast could come up with a way to remove Jenova cells without killing the person they are being removed from. But seeing as both are dead (although you can never be sure about Hojo...) I don't see this happening. When Shinra started injecting people with Jenova cells I don't think they cared if they can be removed or not, everyone is expendable to them.

But I went a step beyond that. Even IF someone else could activate Holy, it still wouldn't work because the Planet is angry at Humans.

Yes, dear... that's what I was getting at. It's not really a cure... but the Reunion is what Kadaj means when he says that he has a cure for the children. He means that they are going to be reassimilated at the Reunion by Jenova.

I agree.

So what does this mean for Cloud? Is he really going to die from Geostigma? In one of the Film Festivals, the WCM also said that Cloud was the last remaining SOLDIER. Have the others already died from Geostigma?

Or were they reassimilated at the last Reunion, and we didn't know it? Will Jenova try to reassimilate Cloud at the Reunion? Many people think the ending of FFVII showed Cloud breaking free of Jenova/Sephiroth's will. I think he's still susceptible to the will of Jenova and Sephiroth. If the other SOLDIERs were reassimilated at the last Reunion, then it could easily happen to Cloud at this Reunion.

Well you can't be absolutely sure of that. Most likely that is how it will be, but you never know. There has to be something, some little hope to keep Cloud and the others fighting, so even if Holy wouldnt work they can not say that in the movie or we'll have our movie full of people just waiting to die. ^_^
Perhaps Cloud is hoping that Aerith could somehow affect the planet, communicate with it to calm it down or make it understand why Geostigma isn't the answer.

I understood that, sweetie. I just like to repeat what you have said as it will make me feel smart. *giggle* :rolleyes:

Ahh, that would be a great end to AC, to see Cloud finally lose the battle to Geostigma and collapse to the ground crying, and then the screen would fade to black and ending credits would begin. That would be beautiful and yet so sad. *sob* :(

I really have no good theory about the other soldiers, so I will just agree and say that the last reunion took care of them. But I didn't really see the last battle between Cloud and Sephy like many did. It seemed more to me that while Cloud won the battle he did not win the war. Infact, the flames of this particualr war are still very much alive as we can see in AC. Sephy himself might not be that big of a threath to Cloud anymore as Cloud has no false memories anymore and other mental crisis, but Jenova is another matter. I always had a feeling that there is lot more to Jenova than was shown in FFVII. All those old reports and Sephiroths rants only raised more questions. So needless to say I am glad how Jenova is going to have a nice role in AC, even if she's just being carried around by Kadaj. :P

Is it a hope to keep living that keeps Cloud going? Hasn't he resigned himself to death? Or is it that he wants revenge? Remember Tifa saying that Cloud was regaining his old strength as he went into a limit break to fight Sephy? Was that motivated by revenge, or by his hope to live? Or was it revenge that's even further motivated by Cloud's desire to see that Aerith's death wasn't in vain?

Silly one! :P :lol:

I agree.

Ah, but Cloud's going through a great deal of inner turmoil. He's facing death, he's feeling guilty over Aerith's death, he feels guilty about the death of his mother and Zack, he's feeling that he's useless to protect others, etc. Geostigma is also affecting his mind as well as his body. Are we so sure that Sephy won't be a threat? I agree that Jenova poses more of a threat to him than Sephy... but I wouldn't completely discount Sephy's effect on him, either. :rolleyes:

Well at least this time Cloud knows who he is. Now of course I can not say which would be worse, not knowing yourself or the feeling of hopelessness. <_<

Ahh, but why does everyone feel the need to mess with poor Clouds mind. His pretty little head must be quite a mess.
But if Sephy appears to Cloud in the movie how can we be sure if it is really him or just Jenova again playing her old tricks again.

Is that what Vincent meant when he asked Cloud, "Are you sure this is just about fighting?" Is it for revenge? :huh:

BTW, this isn't an official statement or anything, but I found this on Final Fantasy Dimension:

In the end, in fact, why is Cloud fighting again, what is his new purpose, what is he fighting for now?

“ Is it for the children? ” - for the safety of the children and of the surviving humanity he struggled for in the past?

“ For a memory? ” - for the preciousness of Aeris’ memory and sacrifice, to prevent her sacrifice to lose its meaning, to fulfill her will to save the Planet and all the lifeforms on it?

“ Or… for himself? ” - or for his personal, even selfish, wish for his loved one to come back to life, his righteous desire to be reunited with the girl he loved most, with Aeris Gainsborough?

Only time will tell…

Aww... :wub: I guess this guy is a ClAeris. :P