At one point in the film festivals, Tifa says this:

Tifa: What we had 2 years ago may be lost to us now 2 years later, but Cloud managed to regain his strength back.

What do you think motivates Cloud to regain his strength? Is it Aerith, Sephiroth, Tifa, or all three? Tifa doesn't look like a happy camper at all when she says it. I got the distinct feeling that she doesn't feel responsible for Cloud regaining his strength:



I have a feeling that it's primarily Sephiroth. They're arch-rivals, and the sight of Sephiroth makes Cloud's blood boil, which was clearly seen in Final Mix during KH. Knowing that Sephiroth is on the loose again would really get Cloud going, and spur his desire for revenge.

And what will fighting Sephiroth have to do with Cloud's ability to forgive himself. If Cloud is able to defeat Sephiroth/Jenova for once and for all, will he be better able to forgive himself? Will defeating them make Cloud feel that he's done all he can do to revenge Aerith's death and put him at peace with himself?

I'm basing this on the English trailer (which is the ONLY trailer I've seen :angry: )

Children are always the first to suffer. Genova, Geostigma, Reunion... and so he takes sword in hand once again...

then at the end of the trailer

Is it for the children...for a memory...or for himself?

I think Cloud ...he's using the children as his primary objective but deep down, he has another agenda...my best bet is, it's something to do with Sephy, Aerith and his quest for forgiveness

Or maybe she's just unhappy because the fighting's started again after they worked so hard to regain peace. Hey, her unhappiness doesn't have to mean being jealous, right? :P


....what's that on Tifa's arm? :blink:

That's just the Cloudy Wolf symbol that's in the corner of all the scenes in the trailer. ^_^

I agree with you. I think he's primarily motivated by that.

I didn't mean to imply that she was jealous. My impression was that she didn't look happy about Cloud regaining his strength. It may be unhappiness about losing the peace that they'd had for the last two years, but it looks like a deeper sadness to me. My impression was that she'd come to the realization that Cloud has been lacking strength for the last two years and is just now regaining it in the face of Sephiroth, which would imply that she wasn't enough to provide him with the strength or motivation to live. She realizes that in the Church when they find the bandages, too, doesn't she? At that time, she said, "No, I don't think he will fight at all." I may be jumping to conclusions, but that was my impression.

Of course, does regaining the strength to fight a battle necessarily mean that he's regained the will to live? Is he ready to fight to the death, if that's what it takes?

Well, I honestly do not believe Cloud is fighting for Tifa and I don't believe she was the reason he regained his strength. I hear this nonsense from CloTis and their absolute lack of common sense astounds me. Why would he suddenly gain strength from Tifa? He wasn't able to for the past two years. He just acted like he wanted to die. Why would he suddenly jump up, grab his sword, and run out to fight again for someone who had no impact on his emotional state to begin with? :/

The only thing that has been clearly stated that Cloud is either fighting for the children, for a memory, or for himself. The memory is Aerith, sweeties. Tifa was NEVER mentioned. In an interview, Nomura stated:

Children will be the key point of the story, and this time Cloud will have to come to their rescue. The game, it being about saving the planet, had an epic story, but this time it's about saving the children.

Again, was Tifa mentioned? NO. Also, at the end of the trailers, some CloTis would have me believe that Cloud hears Tifa's voice, and that it is her voice that lends him strength to go into battle again. *Barfs* :sick: Give me a break! Here is what Tifa says:

Tifa: "During our last battle two years ago, do you remember what it was like to be strong? It's only been two years, but somehow that strength has slipped away. I think Cloud's found it again, though."

This actually turned out to be a cut scene of Tifa talking to someone at a window. However, she was NOT speaking to Cloud. If she were speaking to Cloud, why would she say "I think Cloud's found it again, though"? So, NO, it isn't a flashback from Cloud's memory, it is a mere cut scene. Actually, before the end of the trailer, we see exactly who it is that Cloud is thinking of, and gaining strength from. We see a flashback of Cloud with Zack; we also see Zack saving his life. The last thing we see is Cloud standing next to a temple, gingerly touching the pink ribbon on his left arm, as if it pains him to do so. Then, we hear the voice of Aerith, saying, "Let's go, Cloud..." So, the last person he was thinking of before the battle was AERITH. He never even thought of Tifa. Take that, CloTis... :devil:

So, I think Cloud is drawing strength from the memories of Zack and, most importantly, Aerith. For all we know, she is there with him, in spirit, as he goes into battle. Also, Cloud is most certainly drawing strength on his anger toward Sephiroth. The last person who would help him regain his strength is Tifa, IMO. She wasn't able to for the past two years. So, how would she suddenly get him to fight again? :rolleyes:

Summed up all my thoughts, FF_G!

Seriously, Cloud's been depressed, angsty, gloomy and generally sad for the past two years. Yet suddenly TIFA gives him the strength to fight after not making any progress for two years?

Please. :rolleyes:

I'd say the more logical reason would be the SHM who just happened to show up two years later. The threat of Sephiroth's revival looms above Cloud's head, and having the one man he hated the most return would be a *great* reason for Cloud to return to the battlefield.

Also, Denzel and Marlene, along with the other orphans, were stolen, so that's a very good reason too. ;)

Do you remember scenes in the game where the characters would say the name of the person they're talking to as if they were speaking in the third person? (I can't remember any in the English script right now, and I'm not well enough to check for them.) If I remember right, there are quite a lot of times in FFVII's script (English and Japanese) where characters refer to each other by name even though they're speaking to the person at the time.

Lines in trailers are also horrible to translate because all the lines are taken out of their original context and thrown together in a mixed up order. Especially for a language that can be so dependant on context like Japanese, you're not going to a perfect translation from them.

That is possible. However, Cloud was not shown in this scene. All you see is Tifa. So, I will have to assume he isn't there until shown otherwise, as Tifa's words lead me to believe she is speaking to someone else (like Yuffie, Vincent, Barret, or Red XIII).

Well, you only see the scene briefly, there's the whole area behind her for Cloud to be standing. Though from the trailer, it looked more to me like she was just looking out the window, having a little monologue scene.

I agree with you, FF_G. The trailer asked whether Cloud was fighting for a memory, for the children, or for himself, and Nomura said something to the effect in one interview that this was an important line. It wasn't specified whether the memory was Sephiroth or Aerith, however. It could very well be both, especially since Sephiroth is Cloud's ultimate rival, burned Nibelheim and killed his mother in addition to killing Aerith. Anytime that Cloud confronts Sephiroth, there would always be a mixture of different reasons for Cloud seeking revenge against him.

I think we can isolate it as being "for Aerith" if what Aerith did for the Planet is threatened by Sephiroth or the SHM in AC. In FFVII, Cloud said in the Forgotten City that he would see to it that Aerith's death hadn't been in vain. (That may be from the Japanese translation - I can't remember offhand.) Will her sacrifice for the Planet be threatened in AC, so that Cloud is fighting specifically for that? Or is this a question that Square will leave inconclusive in the movie?

Will Cloud regaining his strength mean that he will move on? The Cloti's are hoping that's what it means. I'm not sure that regaining his strength for a battle means that he will regain the strength to live, especially since he may be fighting specifically to see that Aerith's death hasn't been in vain. It would make sense that Cloud fights specifically for that, since it would also tie in with Cloud's search for forgiveness.

I agree with you, Anastar... Cloud regaining his strength doesn´t have to mean that he will move on... The problem with Cloud is that he is leeting dye himself because his guilty... He has to change that, he has to fight, but it doesn´t meant necesarily that he will heal, that he won´t death and that he will move on into a happy life after all... It´s a fight, and Cloud HAS to fight...

That is what I thought, too. ;)

It could be Sephiroth, but I really don't believe that. The way it said that he was fighting FOR a memory makes me believe it is Aerith. If it was speaking of Sephiroth, wouldn't it state that Cloud is fighting against a memory? :/

I agree. Two years have passed and Cloud still isn't showing any interest in Tifa. I think it is high time the CloTis take a friggin' hint. <_<

hmmm....i really dont know what to say about this :unsure:
and im still trying to figure out
what they say in the English version trailer
which ofcourse we all know,right? >_<
Is it for the Children?
For a Memory?
OR
For Himself?

Cloud must have regained his strength from everybody, but mostly from himself.

He's gotta be strong for the kids. But then again, that's not a reason enough.
He's gotta be strong for Tifa, Barret, Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, et al because even though his friends won't admit it, they have a certain dependence on him, and he knows that.
He's gotta be strong against Sephiroth, because Sephiroth is just someone he's got to face sooner or later... the memory of Sephiroth will keep chasing him unless he faces it.
And he's gotta be strong for Aerith, because I think she's the reason why he cares for the fate of the Planet. (I mean, Aerith would have protected the Planet in every way she could. Cloud understood that. And things...)

And Cloud has to be strong for himself especially during the AC timeline, where it's almost an apocalypse, because he's human, and he wants to SURVIVE!

( >_< My head kinda hurts..)

:huggle: My sentiments exactly!
If the memory is Sephiroth, we can substitute the words and the line can be read as "Is he fighting for the Children, for Sephiroth, or for himself"

That definitely doesn't sound right to me. Thus why i tend to believe that the memory mentioned in that line refers to Aerith. Not saying that Seph isn't a driving force of course, he has to fight Sephiroth to protect those things mentioned(children, aerith, himself). I just believe that the particular "memory" mentioned in the line = our lovely Aerith ;)

That's a good point, STA and FF_G. It should be against a memory if it were Sephiroth. Square is so tricky - they show Cloud walking through Aerith's church as it says "for a memory" and then there's a quick flashback of Sephiroth in the flames of Nibelheim. What Aerith sacrified her life for could easily be threatened by Sephiroth and the SHM now, so that Cloud could easily be doing it for Aerith.

Fighting for Aerith also seems to work best with the idea of Cloud searching for forgiveness. If Cloud seeks forgiveness for letting Aerith die, wouldn't that mean that he'd be fighting for what she believed in and/or to revenge her death? :unsure: It's sorta like what Cloud said before the final battle with Sephiroth, "Aerith's memories... Our memories..." "We came... to tell you... our memories... Come Planet! Show us your answer!" "And Sephiroth! To the settling of everything!!"

And notice that Tifa is not one of the things he could be fighting for. :lol: :rolleyes:

you have a point there
he couldnt be fighting for sephiroth
when they show him after "Is it for a Memory"
its like confusing >_< anyways what about when they say :
"were we defeated by are memories Or did we lose to our own memories"
(oh no im going of the topic again :/ )*hits her head*
anyways nobody said that cloud is not fighting for aeris right?(unless i didnt know)
but.....what about: :ermm:
Is it for the children OR For himself?
*hits her head...again*

What i was wondering was, does the "for himself" mean "for his survival?" Or does it mean for for himself personally, for his inner feelings of guilt and for his eternal grudge against Sephiroth? Is the "for himself" something personal or something physical?

It must be his inner feelings.

Any dumb smuck of a hero can fight for survival but Cloud id a lot more than that.

I would also assume that it means for his feelings, such as his unresolved guilt. Would Cloud even be fighting for his own personal survival at this point? He doesn't seem to really care whether he lives or whether he dies. Revenge and forgiveness seem to be motivating him moreso than his personal survival.

Obviously no one has seen the film in it's entirety, but it's quite possible later in the film he does begin to care about his life whether he lives or dies, so he would not only be fighting for himself as in his inner feelings and emotions, but for his survival as well. I think they go hand in hand or else why would he need to resolve his feelings of guilt if he were to just let himself die?

Sure, it's possible, but I don't think you can come to the automatic conclusion that if he gets over his guilt, that he'll want to live. How do we even know that it's his guilt alone that's making him not want to fight Geostigma? He's resigned to death - is it only because of his guilt? Guilt is the only thing Cloud has expressed, but we don't know what else is going on within him. I don't think we can automatically assume that freedom from guilt equals a desire to live for Cloud.

Besides that, he may not have a chance to live - Geostigma is a fatal disease. What if he dies from Geostigma? What if he dies in an all-out fight against Sephiroth and/or Jenova? What if he sacrifices himself for the children in a similar way to Aerith sacrificing herself for the Planet because he believes it's his best way to gain forgiveness and be at peace? There's a good chance that Cloud may die regardless of his will to live.

I didn't say that guilt was the only factor, nor did I say his reason to fight was for him as it could be for many other reasons (though my personal belief is that it's for all three). He may no longer care about himself. However, if it is for himself, I believe that (of course, opinion only) he would be fighting for forgiveness amongst other things including his own life, or the prolonging of it. It's fatal, but how quickly it will take him is unknown.

Just a thought:
Yeah, Geostigma is a fatal disease. It could take him anytime. Maybe he's fighting to resolve his feelings of guilt before the disease kills him? So that he can find peace before he dies?
Or maybe he thinks he can find peace IF he dies...

That's the way I see it, Kusari Yarou. It's more of an attempt to find peace within himself before he dies, rather than finding a reason to live.

I think it's all three of them that help Cloud. Aeris obviously, since she's talking to him in the flower scene, trying to snap him out of his guilt. Tifa also chides him for not fighting, and then of course there's Sephiroth, and Cloud hates the guy and just wants him dead. Then of course there's the scene where all of his friends come back to fight...I think that plays some part too. Maybe it's kind of inspiring for Cloud to see all of his friends, even Yuffie lol, come back and fight bravely.

Speaking of inspiring, Tifa mentions that Denzel has the disease and is still trying to fight, and since children are a big part of the story, maybe Denzel and the other infected kids give him a little hope too? And the will to fight Geostigma, since if he just gives up and doesn't try and fight the disease and the cause of it, then all of these kids die too. Which is...depressing.

hmm......i wonder does anyone remember what they said that kadaj has something that could help the children with the Geostigma and thats why the children went with him...... :ermm:
*hits her head* (never mind its a stupid question :sad: )

Kadaj promised them a cure for Geostigma, but he's really just trying to lure them into the Reunion.

The question is whether chiding him is the right kind of motivation for Cloud. From the look on his face and from the way he turns away from Tifa as she's chiding him, I don't think it is. I don't think he even wants to listen to it.

Well, here's my opinion.
We see that at the beginning of AC, Cloud is depressed, angsty and giving in to Geostigma.
If Denzel were an inspiration, if Tifa were a motivation, Cloud would not have been in that state at the beginning of AC, do we agree? ^_^
However, we can more or less guess that Cloud would find his strength back somehow. Question is, who and/or what made Cloud regain his strength back to fight?
My guess will be 1) Aerith and 2) SHM and Sephiroth
1) We know that Cloud has not been able to forgive himself for Aerith's death, whether it is only due to guilt or not, Aerith remains to be the most important thought on his mind.
2) The reappearance of 3 mysterious men looking like Sephiroth and searching for Jenova obviously shook Cloud up. Sephiroth is his no.1 arch enemy who took away his everything, including 1) :sad:
Thus, seeing the SHM and what they are trying to do to the children made Cloud realise that he has to fight again to save the innocent children.

However (heres da catch lol), we see in one trailers where Kadaj brought this whole group of children to some place and was "brainwashing" them. Cloud entered the scene by skidding on his bike and falling on the ground. Is it only me or does Cloud look mentally weak at that point in time?
Thus my postulation is that point no. 2) is a huge factor to make Cloud want to fight, but he could not have done so without point no. 1)
:cleris:

Very good point, STA.

I agree, he does. He even needs someone else to rescue him.

Cloud does seem to realize that fighting may be a way to find forgiveness, although I don't think it's as simple as that. In FFVII, part of the reason he fought was to see that Aerith's death wasn't in vain. If he lets Sephiroth and Jenova win this fight, then Aerith's original goal will still be forsaken. I think part of being able to forgive himself is carrying out what he promised to Aerith in the Forgotten City - that he will finish it for her.
:cleris:

He probably doesn't want to listen to it, but it's something he needs to hear anyway. At a time when you feel down like that, sometimes you need someone to kick you into gear, and no one else seemed up to the task. Not that she's the only one trying to help him get up and fight, just maybe that she helps nudge him out the door. It's mainly that she mentions Denzel that I think was a help, since if Cloud chooses to give up and not fight Geostigma and its cause, what becomes of the children? They all die. And Cloud's a hero, so there's no way he'd let that happen.

However, I haven't seen the movie yet, so who knows? It's just speculation on my part.

That is true. But I'll have to agree on Anastar's part too. Cloud can listen or not, but I think he HAS to realize in his soul,heart,and mind what HE has to do. If he keep on listening to others, they're just running his life for him. I think Cloud has to decide for himself, what is right for him. Maybe Cloud has and maybe he hasn't. I think Cloud's somewhere in the right spot but probably isn't sure of himself. There are times when we, ourselves, have to look upon deep in our heart to do the right thing or try. And to me, Cloud is somewhere along those lines. :gift:

Wow, I really like how you phrased that. :) I agree, Cloud does have to decide for himself.

To me, regaining his strength means,

regaining his strength to fight and defend others. Even if it means that the battle may be his last. He may not have been able to protect the ones he loved in the past, but he could use his strength to defend the children whom have suffered and to save them from following the wrong side.

Ok, ok, ok... Wait a minute, we're saying that one posible reason for him to live is to fight against Sephiroth, am I right??? Well, I'm sure that like us, he hasn't be able to see the movie trailers and to say: "Damn!, Sephiroth is back". He still belives that he killed Sephiroth in the Lifestream, and I really doubt, that when he knew about the Geostigma he thought "That bloody Sephiroth, he might have been the one who brought this disease", if he did I think that our friend Cloud has a serious trauma with Sephiroth and that's he's going nuts.

I think, that he decided to live alone, because he didn't found something on his life that made it worth of living. So where I'm going is that neither his friends, or nothing that he might have done, seems to him enough reason to continue living. Where I'm trying to go is to the point that even his friends is not what he wants, thay are important to him, but do not makes him want to live. Now, returning to the "revenge making his life worth", well I don't think that revenge is what Cloud wants. He has already fought Sephiroth, he has already defeated him, and even so he is still not happy. Just think of it, the only thing that he has ever done in his life is to fight, and I'm sure that he's tired of it. If he's helping the children, it's because he's a good guy, a sad guy, but even so a good guy.

I think that when he felt in love with Aerith, he thought that he had found what he always wanted, someone who loved him, just for being him. But when Aerith died, all his dreams of finally living a happy life went down, and he decided to kill Sephiroth, to seek for revenge, to see if that eased his pain. But we have seen that 2 years have passed since Cloud defeated Sephiroth (remember that Cloud belives that he defeated him, and this is being told from what I think it's Cloud's point of view), and he's still unhappy, revenge did not eased his pain, killing Sephiroth didn't brought him his expectations of a happy life. And now, that he reached that conclusion, he might want to die (he might have in his head: "Well, I have this uncurable disease, why don't I make good use of it, and let it kill myself"), if not to meet Aerith then to stop his endless suffering. I'm sure her memory is the thing that's making him regaining his strenght, not to live but to fight. That's why I'm sure that Aerith will play a major role on what concerns Cloud's destiny.

I think people are saying that they see Sephiroth as motivating Cloud to fight. I'm not sure that Sephiroth would give Cloud motivation to live. ;)

But Cloud sees Sephiroth at the end of one trailer, and it was documented in the film festivals that he sees Sephiroth. At the end of the film festivals, Sephiroth draws back his masamune when he sees Cloud and says, "I won't become a memory". Vincent also tells Cloud in the Sleeping Forest that if the SHM get Jenova's head, they can create another Sephiroth. The SHM also ask Cloud where "Mother" is. If Cloud knows that Jenova is involved, then Sephiroth - or clones of Sephiroth - are also involved. I think that's enough to motivate Cloud to fight.

I agree.

I think the point is that another threat from Jenova and/or Sephiroth is what motivates Cloud to fight again. The question is whether it will also be enough motivation for Cloud to fight Geostigma and find the will to live. I think you agree that it's not enough motivation for him to live, but it is enough motivation for him to fight. I think that it's also his key to forgiveness, since fighting a threat to the Planet is also part of his promise to Aerith in the Forgotten City in Disk Two. At that time, he said, "Aerith... I'll do the rest." Isn't fighting them now part of that promise?

Do you really think Cloud had expectations of living a happy life after defeating Sephiroth in Disks Two and Three? What would indicate that? :unsure: I agree that revenge didn't ease his pain, primarily because of the guilt he feels for letting Aerith, Zack, and his mother die. However, his promise to Aerith was essentially to finish what she started. If the Planet is under threat again by Jenova/Sephiroth, and the SHM are tied to that, isn't that enough motivation for Cloud to fight again - and isn't his promise to Aerith tied to that?

Exactly. That's the way I see it, too. :rolleyes: I think his promise to Aerith helps Cloud regain strength to fight because what she died for is being threatened again. He fights because he doesn't want her death to be in vain.

However, will regaining his strength to fight mean that he also gains the strength to live and to fight Geostigma? Aren't those two different things?

It seems that you and I agree on many points, but let me make y points even more clear:

Yes, but all that happens in the movie, I was talking about the time between the end of FFVII and AC. In that 2 years period, he had in his mind that he had defeated Sephiroth, but even so he was unhappy.

He already showed his loyalty to his promise to Aerith, by having protected the planet in the game. After she died, he fought the JENOVA/Sephiroth threat till the end, and even so, even he thought he had fullfiled his promise, he still felt guilt, because he couldn't protect her. I'm sure that he can fulfill his promise a thousand million times, and he'll never forgive him for letting her die. I'm sure that for him to recover his strenght to live, to feel real happiness, Aerith will have a to make something, something crucial, but I still can't figure what. I once heard this phrase on a TV series called Everwood, and it was said by a man who lost his wife, and I'm sure that something like this is what Cloud has in his mind: "The sadness, that I feel for losing her, will always eclipse, wichever good that might come to me"

I can't answer if Cloud had expectations to live a happy life after he defeated Sephiroth, what I can say that he might have been looking forward to it (the end of his struggle with Sephiroth), and to see how did he felt after that, but it seems that he didn't felt any different, and since sorrow is like wine, the more time it is in the bottle, the stronger is its flavour. I think that's Cloud's mood is beyond sadness. I think that what he can't forgive to himslef, was to let Aerith die, I think that he knows that he couldn't help his mother's or Zack's death, but Aerith was killed in front of him, and he couldn't do anything else rather than to see and cry.

Yes, but I never said that regaining his strenght to fight would make him want to live, he went through the same in the game, and even if he regained his strenght to fight, his will to live is still none. I think that regaining his strenght to live is something imposible for Cloud to do by himself. I'm sure that someone will be the one, taking Cloud's sorrow, grief and pain, and make him want to live again, and I'm sure that, that one person is no one else than Aerith.

You make some very good points, Clerith-son. I think your observation about Cloud's awareness of Sephiroth is a very good one. I got the impression that Cloud is not actually aware that Sephiroth is actually a direct threat until later on in the story... Vincent mentions to Cloud the possible threat of Sephiroth returning, but not that Sephiroth (or A Sephiroth) returning was an imminent threat. Clearly the threat of Sephiroth and Jenova rearing their ugly heads (no pun intended) is somewhat of a motivating factor for Cloud, but it strikes me, as Clerith-son pointed out, that Cloud's current funk is largely centered on the fact that his defeat of Sephiroth and the saving of the planet was, in the end, nothing but cold comfort at best in the face of losing Aerith. And, like Clerith-son, it struck me in the game that Aerith was sort of like this glowing opportunity for Cloud to finally find some happiness in his life... but, like everything else in Cloud's life, trajedy won out in the end. Thus, the loss of Aerith is the severest of blows in what has been a long line of severe blows in Cloud's life.

Excellent post, Clerith-son. Man, I'm getting impatient for AC...

I'm not saying that he will lose his guilt by continuing to fight for what Aerith believed in. I'm saying that if Cloud attempts to find forgiveness or alleviate his guilt, then he would most likely be fighting the SHM/Jenova/Sephiroth for Aerith. If he hopes to find forgiveness, then Cloud would continue trying to fulfill what Aerith believed in, even though it may not work.

See, I'm thinking that Cloud may be motivated to do this because it's what Aerith believed in... but if he still feels guilty after the fight, then he will have to confront the issue of why he feels guilty. If, after doing all this for Aerith, he still feels guilty, then wouldn't it be revealed that it's not just guilt that Cloud feels... but grief?

I knew you didn't say that regaining a will to fight would also make Cloud regain the strength to live - the Cloti's are saying that. :lol: When Tifa says that Cloud has regained his strength, the Cloti's are assuming that Cloud has regained the strength to live simply because he has regained the strength to fight. I'm not sure that regaining the strength to fight the SHM/Sephiroth/Jenova means that Cloud will fight Geostigma, but the Cloti's seem to think that it does mean that. I think you're right that something more will have to happen in order for Cloud to regain the will to live. Cloud has regained a motive to fight a battle against the SHM and Sephiroth, but more has to happen before he will regain the strength to live.

I see your point, but now that I think of it, what does Cloud means by forgiveness, I was thinking, now that Aerith is dead, the only one who can forgive him, is no other than himself as well, right? So, if he wants forgiveness so desperately, why haven't he found it? He already fought and defended what she (Aerith) belived for, right? So, why didn't he forgive/forgived/forgave (not sure how should I spell it, but I'm sure that the idea is clear, please correct me) himself in those 2 years? Is his meaning or idea of forgiveness, more complex than appears to be?

Well, that's the Clotis fans point, and even if I don't share it at all, I respect it. But, remember in the game he regained his strenght to fight as well, but even so he still didn't find the strenght or will to live, why didn't he, I don't know, but I think that if he finds the strenght and will to live, it will be something big what helps him to find it. Even so I'm sure, that the thing that he's searching to find happiness, isn't in the Planet. Maybe, as Aerith, he got a final answer from the Planet, and him fighting, is his way of saying good bye, and his last gift to his friends, and for the Planet.